Turning Back
by Ummster
Summary: The reluctant earth prince, Endymion, held captive by the demoness Beryl, is forced to court the Lunarian princess long enough to be able to kidnap her and then kill her. Little does he know that fate has a bit more in store for him than he anticipates.
1. Prolouge

By Ummster

Well…this is my first fan fiction piece. Plus, I'm only 13. So don't LAUGH! Actually, I don't usually write like this –I'm more of a humorous writer. But I felt like actually trying some serious, hardcore writing. Hope you like it. The plot's mostly like other sailor moon alternate universe stuff, where Serenity first falls in love with Endymion. It takes another scoop of the whole deal –the earth and moon are on bad terms even before the lovers meet. PLEASE REVIEW! That helps make it even more enjoyable to you guys.

It's the Silver Millennium, and Serenity, princess of the moon, is engaged and ready to be married. But what happens when the prince of a warring planet appears and sweeps Serenity off her feet?

Prologue

The sweet scent of lavender blossoms washed across the tranquil meadow, intermingling with the melancholy tones of a paroquet crowing for its lost mate. The girl watched, awed, as the rainbow-feathered bird fluttered into the distance towards a blanket of pale orange and dusty-peach in the sunset. A rose petal floundered in the gentle breeze and landed softly in the folds of her delicate white embroidery, a specialty of moon royalty.

The rose was left unnoticed as Serenity turned her feet towards the bank of a foaming waterfall and squatted down on the landscape. She smiled as she recounted the numerous times she had visited this waterfall –a place she always took solace to when she had a question on the tip of her mind, yet was too abashed to ask Luna.

Her mother, the second crowned Serenity in the line of moon queens, had left suddenly and unexpectedly to visit their cousins on Mercury. Selene be blessed, she hadn't been to Mercury in ions and wished to keep it that way. Though she was only 16, she had developed a severe distaste for scholarly activities. It wasn't that she disliked the people of Mercury –for one, Ami, the blue-haired scout and Serenity's close friend, was from Mercury, and as far as she was concerned, Ami's eagerness to snuck her head in a nice, thick textbook didn't bother her. In fact, Ami was often the one she consulted when in need of assistance with her royal studies. It was the fact that they seemed to have nothing better to do that worried her.

There were so many things to be enjoyed in life –food, poetry, friends, good times- yet she was unhappy to say that she wished she had more. She realized that this was being a bit greedy; she was a princess after all, and basked in the most delectable clothing, food selections, and for the most part lived a contented life, if not for the fact that being a princess also meant Serenity was forced to be particular about the people she attended to. Serenity wished she could stroll through the markets as she liked, but of course, that was too dirty. And attending a normal school –too much publicity. The truth, as she hated to admit, was that she was completely isolated apart from the domains of her mother's palace.

In sequence with her thoughts, a grandmotherly voice rang out, "Serenity! What are you doing by that waterfall again?"

Luna loved to follow her, she mused, laughing to herself. Never had she crossed the palace boundaries for more than five minutes without her feline guardian promptly catching her.

"I was just thinking about mother," she replied, and was surprised by the honesty of her answer.

Luna sighed belatedly. "Dear, when will you learn? A princess is not meant to think. A princess is meant to act, and be a model for her people."

"I don't want to be a model for my people," Serenity mumbled, not realizing that Luna was still listening to her.

Luna left on that sad note, wondering what would become of Serenity. She recalled proudly how much kindness and tenderness the girl could unexpectedly unleash, but unfortunately she was the only one who knew of the uncharacteristic trait. Serenity was known to have a hot temper and fierce spirit.

It's not her fault, Luna mused. She was raised to be the perfect heir. The midnight-black cat pawed her way through the wild grass outside the palace and with a flash, disappeared into the night.

Serenity watched as her guardian teleported back into the familiar terrains of the palace. Luna would never understand her loneliness.

Knowing that the waterfall was not going to be of any help anymore, she unfolded her arms around her knees and gently lifted herself from the ground, dusting herself down like she'd seen her mother do so many times. In some ways, she resembled her mother. They both had the same flowing hair, set in twin buns atop a short forehead. However, her mother's hair was silvery and regal, while hers was girlish in its sunflower yellowness. Besides, her lips were light and full –inexperienced- while her mother possessed thin, crisp lips, capable of commanding, consoling, and scolding. The older also towered over her daughter and seemed to be wise beyond her years, while the younger was consistently told by her mother's advisors to wizen up.

No, they're nice people, she soothed, tears threatening to blur her vision. They just expected her to be more like her mother. And that was as impossible a task as could be made –at least for her.

Her mother was her idol- but there was something about her that often felt foreign and mysterious. Like she was hiding a great secret from her. Yet Serenity knew her mother well enough to know that she was always open to her, as she was in return. Nevertheless, she conceded that her mother was often reluctant to reveal information about her father's whereabouts. He had been killed during a war that had occurred even before Serenity had been born…and she knew that it was obviously an emotional subject for her mother. It was _her_ father, though, and she had the right to know. The fire of curiosity often burned through her, torturing her with questions, but she was too respectful to ever bring up the topic with the pressures of a possible war with the revolting Terrans. It was almost as if Serenity II didn't trust her. The young princess often felt that she wasn't good enough for her mother. The thought saddened her, but she knew it was the truth.

It wasn't that she was ugly. She had the prettiest pair of sky-blue eyes, clear and playful, that basked in a pale glorious skin tone, often flushed red with good health. Her body was delicate in its petiteness, subtlety curved to femininity, from her rounded breasts to the slight outward bend of her hips. Those scrumptious hips lead to a pair of legs that stretched forever, adding the most to her height. She was enough to make any man drool.

But that wasn't the case. She was affianced to the prince of Mercury, Seran (unfortunately, yes, but she realized that for centuries, all the grooms for moon royalty had been from Mercury). Suddenly she realized that this must have been why her mother had abruptly left for Mercury. Serenity had never met her fiancé, and she was nearing the becoming age of marriage.

And now that the barbarians of Earth were turning against the Selene Alliance in an anticipated war, the moon needed to form all the alliances it could –beginning with the intellectual personnel of Mercury. If only the Terrans could mind their own business –claiming that the alliance was wrongly influencing their planet! The alliance remained peaceful, as always. Of course, they only want to reduce the alliances' power, Serenity thought bitterly.

"Excuse me, your highness?" Serenity recognized one of her mother's attendees standing on the edge of the meadow, the wind disrupting her robes. The woman's plump cheeks were flushed beneath a brink of curly brown hair, and she quickly averted the princess's headstrong gaze.

"Yes, Matilda?"

"Your mother has arrived. She asked for you to meet her at the dining hall –and she said to mention that she had guests." Serenity looked up, startled, fearing her premonitions were correct. Guests were constantly entering and leaving the moon palace, on political accounts, but never had she herself been called to greet them. As a child growing up, marriage had excited her, but now it felt as if it were being thrust upon her. Of course, there were the training sessions…Serenity blushed as she realized she hardly ever paid attention to them. There were so many other things to think about…

Matilda squirmed uncomfortably as Serenity's thoughts drifted elsewhere. She watched with curiosity as the girl's cheeks turned an innocent rosy pink and her lips pursed into a smile. So this was the queen's only daughter. Matilda had been told by a more experienced maid that Serenity could be quite moody at times, but that didn't seem to be the case. She looked sweet-tempered, almost naïve. Matilda's tense posture relaxed as she let her back fall into a more comfortable position. She was a good servant and was sure that she wouldn't be dissatisfying the princess any time soon.

Serenity's golden buns nodded slighted as her eyes drooped, carrying into a gentle slumber of beautiful thoughts. Suddenly, her eyes flew open and she caught the maid looking at her with evident concern. Not willing to risk being reprimanded –which her past servants seemed to enjoy- she drowsily steadied herself and was content in following Matilda back into the palace grounds. Her past servants had been rude and tempered with her anger, infuriating her by demanding perfection at the most unnecessary times, and she dared to hope that Matilda was different from the others.

The pair passed the familiar, yet still stunning palace walls, covered in ivy and decked in marvelous marble plating. Plush sheets of crimson velvet draped the entrance, towering over an ancient staircase, which winded above to the second ground. Serenity carefully pushed aside the transparent sheets covering the spiral architecture and daintily stepped onto the ivory steps, pushing up the hem of her thin white gown to obtain proper footing. Sensing footsteps, she peered out from behind linen, pushing aside wisps of her bangs which laid in disarray above her matted forehead.

Nearby, a set of startlingly clear midnight blue eyes watched curiously as a figure appeared from underneath the stairway, suddenly meeting another pair of sky blue eyes head on.


	2. Chapter 1

Turning Back by Ummster

Sorry, this chapter is pretty descriptive, too, since it is the introduction to Endymion. (Beware, I didn't intend it, but Serenity becomes a tad emo in this chapter). Hopefully it will get better the next time I update.

YAY! Summer's here! Too bad I'm going to India and won't be able to update much. Sry (  
REVIEW!

Chapter 1

The palace grounds were impressive, almost as marvelous as his own back on Earth. It was amusing how a few hours in one place could allow previous memories to fade away; but Endymion wouldn't and couldn't let his beloved home slip away from him that easily. Ah…those rosy gardens, the savory fruits of passion…he was already beginning to miss them and yet he had hardly been gone for a few hours. For now, though, the lonely moon palace would have to do. 

He had been sent, as the prince of the planet, to settle disputes between the Moon and Earth for the last time. Quite frankly, he wasn't sure what he was going to do. The prince supposed he would just have to let events unfold themselves –after all, it had been their Queen who had called upon a settlement, not the other way around. Typical of the Lunarians, he thought with a wry smile. Demanding from others, and just to fulfill their own selfish little needs.

Now where was he supposed to be? He couldn't remember, as he hadn't been fully paying attention to the mundane Moon Queen who had greeted him. He had to admit he was surprised by her warm welcome, yet suspected that it was all an act to get him to agree to the moon's decisions on their relations. In fact, her tasty dinner and reception may have been all to much to lull him into her trap. 

The queen had excused herself early on, and had politely requested for him to come to the guest hall when he was finished with his meal. That was where he was to be, the guest hall! That posed another problem. Where was the guest hall?

He contented himself with walking around for while until he found himself standing behind a gigantic, winding staircase. A sense of déjà vu swept over him as he realized that someone –or rather, two people- were standing on the steps. Yet the thin transparent sheet of linen left it impossible to see anything other than the outlines of the figures.

Suddenly a blue of white presented itself from behind the barrier. Endymion gazed blankly at the goddess in front of him. His Terranian court had held witness to many sensual ladies –with whom he had been involved in various pleasurable affairs- but none stood near in grace to the profoundly beautiful woman occupying herself on the stairwell. He realized with surprise that she was now staring back at –almost studying him- with a hardcore tenacity; a feature which he was rarely able to distinguish in the feminine gender.

Serenity blinked and turned to face Matilda. Her maid didn't seem to have noticed their new company –and the princess was hesitant to draw attention to it.

Judging from his silver armor and the foreign marking encrypted in the metal, he was obviously a Terran. From the muscled wall that formed his chest, visible beneath the armor, he was probably a warrior of some kind. His face was handsome in a boyish sort of way –with his beautiful, soulful blue eyes, a royal nose, and loose, ebony-black bangs that hung in a messy side part and tickled his forehead. Serenity blushed at those last two observations. She had never been put under the pressure of men before, at least not before the presence of her mother, and suddenly she wished she had her mother there to cower behind. She was inexperienced in the matter and unable to decipher her mixed emotions. Suddenly all she wanted was to be out of the man's sight.

"I…I think we should be going, Matilda," she mumbled under her breath, turning her gaze from him and setting it on the floor just above the staircase. She had gathered her skirts and was about the raise her foot when a firm hand locked onto her wrist.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but do you know where I can find the guest hall? I'm new here and have yet to become acquainted with my surroundings."

Serenity was about the decline when Matilda piped officiously, "Gladly. In fact, we were heading there ourselves."

"Oh? And care tell whom I have the pleasure of following?" Endymion asked, less interested in the servant than her companion.

She was beginning to become impatient, not only with him but with Matilda. "Princess Serenity III of the Moon Kingdom and Serene Alliance," she stated automatically, smacking her lips in nonchalance, "and this is my maid Matilda."

"My pleasure, Matilda…your highness." He grinned and extended his hand respectfully towards the two of them.

Before Matilda could even attempt to reach his outstretched hand, Serenity had brushed his hand aside and begun making her way up the steep passage. Terrans, she reflected with annoyance. Too courteously fake, slow moving and…handsome.

The Earth Prince smiled secretly to himself as the moody princess swept past him, her dress flying and her sun-golden locks twirling around her. He suspected he would be seeing more of her soon.

"Mother!" she practically sang as she embraced the Queen, happy to be in knowing arms again. It was rather childish of her to still adore her mother in that puppy-doggish way, yet she didn't mind as long as her mother returned it. 

"So Sere, I see you've met Endymion, prince of Earth," Queen Serenity began, motioning towards him and the plump servant behind him.

So he was a Terran prince? Serenity flushed. "In my haste I forgot to ask for your name. Forgive me."

"Don't mention it, Sere," he replied immediately, picking up the name from her mothers usage. She blushed at the use of such an intimate nickname coming from his mouth. 

Queen Serenity cleared her throat, cutting off the conversation. "We have important matters to discuss. Endymion, I expect you'll wait outside the hall while I talk to my daughter."

"Of course, milady." Serenity's mother waited patiently as Endymion collected himself and strode out the door, closing it with a thud and leaving them in the silent atmosphere of the room.

"Serenity," she began calmly, "You've probably already figured out why I so suddenly went to visit Mercury. It was to meet Seran."

She gulped, knowing what this topic would lead to, and dreading it all the same.

"I…Serenity, the fact is, you need to get married. For yourself and for our planet. Seran is more than ready. He'd like to meet you tomorrow when he comes personally from Mercury."

It took a moment for her to process her mother's words. Seran was coming? Goddess, she hadn't even seen him before. The only other Mercurian male she had ever met was the old bookkeeper for the palace library, a wrinkled, sneeze-prone old man with a head full of dusty gray strands. Sure, he was a nice, altruistic fellow –but she swore that if Seran was anything like him she might just scream herself to death.

She grimaced and turned to face her mother. Her head was bowed respectfully and her palms folded, yet Serenity could sense the anxiety she must be facing.

"Mother, you know I trust your judgment. Besides, I could never let you down so much as to disregard this marriage proposal. I promise on Selene I'll follow through." Even as she said it she knew there was no backing out. She would just have to hope for the best; inwardly Serenity scolded herself for being so assertive in her acceptance.

Queen Serenity's face lit up and she warmly took the girl into her arms again. She whispered something soothing but incoherent into Serenity's ears, and for a second Serenity forgot she was getting married and was only able to remember that she loved her mother. 

Suddenly the older woman's head snapped back and her arms fell to her sides. Serenity watched, uncertain.

"I've left Prince Endymion waiting outside long enough. Serenity, you should be leaving now."

She fumbled for words, still caught up in her innocent promise. "Oh, al-alright…"

"Go ahead. Tell Endymion to come in whenever he's ready."

Serenity walked slowly towards the arched door, thrusting it open and hoping the young man she had previously been acquainted with had left for other, better places. Yet upon her arrival, she found the prince lazily slumped in one of the cushioned chair, receiving malicious glares from Serenity's feline-faced guardian, who seemed to have just arrived. Luna, snarling, clawed at the chair viciously. The dozing Endymion was suddenly awakened and snatched his hand away from the cat's presence, probably saving himself from permanent scarring. Indeed, the cat's claws were poisoned with the deadliest of concoctions, and only the most practiced nurses in the palace would have attempted to extract the liquid from the skin without risking harm to themselves. 

She watched the scene amusedly, barely caring that a Terran had almost been clawed to death by her own guardian. However, she was particularly startled that Luna could be so lacking in restraint as to slash out a guest like she had…even if he was from the Earth. 

Returning her attention to the victim of the incident, she found him staring down at his precious arm possessively. One moment his eyes were shielded to her, and the next moment he had lifted his crystal blue eyes to her, as if acknowledging her presence. 

Watching the prince amusedly, she stated plainly, "My mother wishes for you to meet her in the guest room." So saying, Endymion, still clutching his arm with a rather pink, flustered expression on his boyish face, sauntered back into the room he had first arrived in, and slammed the door hard behind him. 

"How could you, Luna?" Serenity asked, barely able the suppress the laughter boiling up in her.

Luna returned the laugh with a sigh. "I don't know what came over me. It was just that…that the Terrans are the source of all our problems, and I was so quick to develop a severe distaste in the people of Earth, our guest included."

Serenity rubbed the crescent moon plating on Luna's furry forehead affectionately, snuggling her up against her face. "Oh, don't feel bad. Everyone makes mistakes."

"Easy for you to say."

"Hey!" she yelled, unable to resist punching Luna softly on the back. The cat's body bounced lightly on the majestic, Jupiter-style bed, dipping into the gentle fabric of her Venusian fluffy bedspread.

"You'd better not display your 'severe distastes' in public, Luna, or you might just end up killing someone," Serenity reprimanded mockingly.

"Ah, well, I can't say I'm particularly proud of myself. What kind of example am I now?" The cat grimaced.

Something in Serenity's mind stilled at that statement, making her breath run cold. A lone emotion, sunken inside her memory, surfaced for a second, halting in uneasy waters. Fury built in her soul as she considered the truth of Luna's blatant statement.

"LUNA! How dare you say such a thing?"

The cat replied, startled, "It's true."

"No. You're my guardian and I respect you for that. You don't have to be an 'example' for me! Why must everything and everyone be perfect? People make mistakes! One should live to make mistakes and learn from them! Goddess, I hate being a princess! I hate being scolded for my every action. I hate this life!" She wasn't quite done with her diatribe but was sure by the horrified look on Luna's face that she had said more than enough. 

Shoulders shaking, she buried her head in her white bedcovers and began sobbing hysterically. Tears glistened on her face, rolling like crystal sequins off the side of her reddened cheeks and dampening her rumpled white attire. She knew she must look dreadful but at the moment she didn't care. Daring to pick herself up from the comfort of her covers, she pushed her head up with both restless hands.

She expected to meet the friendly face of Luna, either touched with sympathy or shining with remorse. Yet it was not the feline she saw peering down at her –rather, it was Endymion.

"Serenity," he drawled, stroking her hand with softly. Electric tinglings shot down her arm like rockets, causing her whole body to shiver in pleasure.

"En-Endymion?" Her breath had stopped and she found that all she could do was stare at his heavenly face, her eyes unable to focus on anything else. Amazingly, his features stood out clearly, despite the blurry view caused by her tear-filled, red, puffy eyes. His dark hair, barely covering the entrancing eyes that seemed to be shining with a mysterious cobalt-blue tint –his soft grin, wide but unassuming, and his firm lips…

She blinked, the tear marks still evident on her face, and suddenly he was gone, leaving her alone and confused in the solidity of her bedroom.

OOO, gotta luv cliffy's! Sry, I had to put it in. The last part wasn't planned; it sort of just came when I started writing. Actually, this whole story's kinda like that. Spontaneous. It makes itself.

So REVIEW! 

Plot ideas would help, as I'm having trouble figuring out what should happen the next time they meet. 


	3. Chapter 2

Turning Back by Ummster

Ok, so I've made up my mind on a plot. It's kind of like the Count of Monte Cristo…sorry, I'm reading that now! I liked the revenge thing and the fact that Mercedes…ok I wont give away too much yet. Don't worry, the COMC part doesn't come in until later chapter.

Read, enjoy, and review!

I have to warn you that this chapter is probably why the story is rated T. It's not much, though.

Chapter 2

The yellows, aquas, and crimsons of the surrounding landscape provide no solace to the uncomfortable thoughts churning through Serenity's mind. Peach colored butterflies fluttered in the warmth of the sun, unassuming, admiring the beautiful waterfall cascading in front of the mistress.

Yet somehow, it was not succeeding in having the same effect on the girl. For some reason, the normally comforting splash of water was only making her mind spin more so. The beautiful, blue-green bubbles foaming into the meandering river reminded her of his intense cobalt blue eyes waning in front of her. Dark tresses of dirt reflected the enticing messiness of his ebony, pitch-black hair. The purple and pale red splotches of blossoms scattered on the river's banks were symbols of the delicate tenderness in which he had whispered her name. And although she would never admit it to herself, she knew exactly who "he" was. She also would never admit that he had been occupying her mind ever since he had so mysteriously left her bedroom.

Serenity still hadn't figured out how he had managed to leave so suddenly. It was possible that it had been teleportation, but what stunned her was that she had never known Terran's to be able to teleport, let alone be susceptible to any form of magic whatsoever. Then again, she had never met a Terran before.

As she pondered over his magical abilities, she suddenly realized that someone was lounging on the soft grass beside her. Turning around, her mind outlined the familiar form of a pensive young man, midnight blue eyes turned towards the cloudless sky.

She nearly groaned in frustration. Did he always seem to find her when she least wished for his presence? Then it occurred to her that if he could teleport, he could probably read minds as well.

Quickly, she turned over so that her back was facing him, blocking all transmissions her body may have been emitting.

Endymion quietly watched as the girl moved away from him. As he wondered what she was doing, it suddenly occurred to him that she might be afraid that he would…

"Why so quick to shield your thoughts, princess?"

Cringing at those words, Serenity reluctantly maneuvered herself to face him again. "And why do you assume that I'm shielding my thoughts?"

"I'll leave that for you to decide. But just to ease your thoughts a bit, no, I cannot read minds."

Serenity breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that she couldn't read minds herself. "Can you teleport?"

"Yes. It's characteristic of Terranian royalty."

She nodded knowingly and replied, "That makes sense. It works the same with moon royalty."

"That's why I was able to leave your room so quickly yesterday."

So he had finally turned to the unusual incident they had experienced in her bedroom. "Why did you come inside? I didn't hear you enter."

"I heard someone crying, and when I opened your door I saw someone sprawled on top of their bed, sobbing. Why, princess?" he asked, softly.

Serenity lowered her head in shame. "I…sometimes I get so frustrated that being a princess, I'm expected to be perfect."

"It was your cat, wasn't it?" he asked unexpectedly.

"What do you have against Luna?" she questioned, eyes twinkling, purposefully evading the question.

"Let's just say she can be a bit violent at times," he returned.

"I was surprised. That's quite unlike Luna. She's usually the one telling me to be sweet and control my temper."

"I actually have a feline guardian myself."

"You do?"

"Yes. His name is Artemis. He's white and looks a lot like Luna, with the exception that he has the earth symbol on his forehead instead of the crescent moon."

"Maybe we should have our cat's meet each other some day," she joked.

"But what if they fell in love?"

"That would never happen," she said, looking at him quizzically.

"It's possible," Endymion replied quietly, studying the girl in front of him carefully.

They stared at the waterfall together, at its beautiful curves and palate of colors. Gently, Endymion ventured to wrap his arms around her shoulders; and suddenly, surprisingly, Serenity lost her thoughts of discomfort and was able to admire the view even more than she had as a child.

One second his warmth was gone and the next it was all around her: his caressing hands testing her body, his teasing lips softening her skin…She had the urge to slap his hands away, but she soon realized that quite to the contrary her hands were strapped to his loose shirt and she couldn't, wouldn't let go.

Slowly, Endymion settled her down so that she was resting sideways on his lap.

"Do you realize what you just did?" she asked, half furious and half excited.

"_We _just did, princess," he corrected.

"No, you just did," she countered, angrier now that the experience was over, "I'm sure you've seduced many innocent girls before –don't deny it." Serenity wasn't sure why she had said that –yet for some reason she had a feeling that Endymion was more experienced than she was.

"True," he stated simply.

"Then you admit that you seduced me."

"If I have, then you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seduced."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Serenity reprimanded, scolding herself for blushing.

Endymion smiled as he watched the girl's cheeks tint pink. "It's true. You're a Lunarian princess. I've never been acquainted with a Lunarian woman, let alone a princess. Yet I have to say that I find the combination quite pleasurable."

"I'm sorry; you should have gone for my mother while you still had the chance." She was teasing him and he knew it but somehow the statement enraged him.

"Why, you little…" he growled, his voice turning low and husky. Serenity shrieked as he began chasing her, and suddenly found herself teetering at the edge of the sandy pink bank. With a flop, she splashed into the shallow pool and expertly swam to the surface, dripping wet.

In a minute, Endymion was next to her, his earth attire abandoned on the shore.

"I'll get you for that!" he warned, plunging into the blue depths of the waterfall and easily turning her upside down. Instantly, Serenity wrapped her arms around her dress to keep it from falling to her head.

"Say you're sorry."

"For what?" she whimpered.

"For calling me old."

"I never called you old! I was simply referring to the fact that my mother is technically a Lunarian princess, as well."

"That certainly wasn't funny. I'll have you know that I'm only 19."

He was only 19? She'd expected him to be in his mid-twenties.

"Ok, I'm sorry. Please just put me down."

Endymion obliged and set her down in the water, not before letting her rest in his arms a while longer. Once safely in the water, Serenity retreated back out of the water, pulling at her gown and letting the water drip out. Endymion also swam back to shore, but instead of draining his plain white shirt, he simply stripped it off.

She simply stared. What was revealed to her was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Her hands itched to touch the smoothness but suddenly mind reeled back into consciousness and she was scared. She had never been this close to a man before, let alone a man from earth. She wasn't ready for this! What would her mother think if she was spotted dripping wet with a half-naked Terran man? Goddess, the earth was about the declare war on them! She couldn't do this. Confused, Serenity pulled back.

Endymion watched, puzzled, as Serenity moved away from him uncomfortably. He had expected her to come to him, plead for him, as all the other woman he had encountered at his court had done. Yet watching her, it hit him that she was moon princess and only 16, obviously naïve to the pleasures of passion and men. And it only further fueled his desire to have her.

"I have a fiancé," she whispered plainly, averting his eyes, and ran off into the woods, away from him, away from her heart.


	4. Chapter 3

Turning Back

Ok I guarantee the next part is coming soon. The reason why I haven't updated is because I was working on the next chapter as part of this chapter…but then I figured I should just leave it like this –it was long enough already.

Yes, the next chapter will be VERY long. Serenity and Endymion officially know each other…I mean, _really _know each other, so the story can go on.

And yes, I do have a story line now. It changes as I type though –truly it's mostly improv.

I wasn't really sure how I should make Beryl so I basically made her a replica of the one from the TV series.

Enjoy! Review.

Chapter 3

_She was beautiful –and evil all the more. Purple strands of perfect, corkscrew curls hung in a purple mass around her face, resting beneath a brilliant crown of the rarest gems of sapphire and jade. A nose, flaring, and pristine violet eyes, wide and glittering with malcontent, adorned a pale, round complexion. Above this lay the thinnest eyebrows, quirked beyond possibility, adding to the mischievous smirk of ruby red, full lips. Dressed in the finest linen gown, decked in jewels and shining threads, it was evident that she was a woman of power. _

_Altogether it was a gory figure; disillusioned and rage-filled. Limp bodies shone in the darkness of the earth atmosphere, encircled in tiny energy modules programmed to drain energy –and drain they did, drain until fingers cracked, bones pricked, guts reversed, and blood rushed out of circulation into tiny storage containers. _

_Beryl licked the red liquid thoughtfully and grinned more widely. "Hell is delicious," she rasped, letting the blood meander down her face in thick, bubbling river._

"_That's enough, Jedeite. I'm beginning to think we've tortured these humans too much for their sake and ours," she commanded, nodding to the pale, blonde-haired man beside her. He bowed his head in acknowledgement. _

"_But your majesty, you almost have enough energy to take over the moon! Just one more burst of energy. Then you, as queen of the Negaverse, will finally be ruler of this measly galaxy."_

"_Yes, that is comforting. Yet we've already purged through all the Earth locations worth their value," Beryl said, annoyed, her violet eyes turning a violent shade of emerald green, "and on Pluto. The rest of the galaxy is under the command of the Selene Alliance._

"_So until we conquer the moon we won't have any shot at their total power." Jedeite said those last words tentatively, fearing he would enrage the tempered queen._

_Beryl's lips nervously smacked as the last of the blood disappeared into her mouth._

_"Seems like we're in a bit of a predicament."_

_"I know that, IDIOT man!" Her fiery spit sizzled as it landed on Jedeite's right check, burning a nail-sized, brown hole through his skin. Vultures, soaring overhead, turned their eager heads at the smell of the burning flesh; meanwhile Jedeite, shrieking in agony, retired a few feet from Beryl. He fell to the ground with a thump, his blonde, blood-stained head hung low and a hand gently caressing his bruised face._

_Beryl took no notice. "What we need is a person so powerful, they alone can give us enough power to demolish the luna-scums." She paused as she said this, reflecting on her idea and smiling to herself. "Yes, that's it," she continued, "A person yielding so much energy that we'll have to rid ourselves of the excess for lack of a place big enough to store it._

_"Someone like the moon princess…" _

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Serenity thrashed in her bed, shuddering at the vivid aftermath of a horrifying dream. The dream had been uncalled for –she blushed as she realized that she usually expected passionate dreams about Endymion- but what startled her was that she never had political dreams. Ever. It was just something about her. She wasn't the type to fret over conflicts of that sort; that is unless they concerned her. That was it. This concerned her. The monster in her dream had been talking of extracting power from the moon princess…and as far as she knew she was the only one. It was hard to understand why anyone would ever think that she contained any power, or energy, for that matter.

However, she did have the Imperium Silver Crystal. But that lay dormant in a sealed vault in her mother's room. It was meant to have been passed down to her when she turned 16 –and that she was- yet she wasn't allowed to keep it in her possession until she knew exactly how to use it. The chances of that, at least at present, were nil.

It was a mysterious gem, capable of magic beyond words, miracles far beyond explanation…possessor of the total magic in the moon kingdom. To use it, one had to be fully concentrated (she doubted that would be possible with the things on her mind these days) and able to unleash their own energy into the power of the crystal. This meant that they had to be workers of magic themselves. So far, all she could do was teleport, and that too very slowly. Serenity didn't blame herself –after all, it was a very painstaking process.

Yet really, what was the need? True, she was the only one out of the line of Serenity who hadn't been ready for the crystal at the age of 16, but she doubted she would really need to use it. Her only ancestor who had ever used it was Serenity 1, the great Queen who had created the Selene Alliance and had harnessed the powers of the moon kingdom to yield a small, bluish diamond, glowing and ready to be used. She had used it to banish the Negaverse from the Universe, abode of the moon, earth, and the other celestial bodies. Yes, it was an awesome feat, and had been so great that the Negaverse still hadn't been able to take control of the Alliance. There were reportings, however, of things happening on Earth…terrible things…things which had caused the Alliance to keep a more watchful eye on the planet, inclining the Terran's to revolt against this security.

Everything just leads back to that dream, she thought tiredly. That Dream. She had no doubt that the 'queen' was Beryl, the ruthless ruler of the Negaverse, always trying to find a gateway to eternal power. Serenity's heart twinged at the thought of the second figure, bleeding and burnt. The male was somehow distantly familiar, but she was sure she had never seen him before in her life.

Serenity turned on her side, steadying her mind, and opened her eyes carefully. Veils of sunlight poured through the half-open sill of a vanilla-colored window, sparkling clear and bright on the normally mundane, peach wall. Anchoring the perfect halo of warmth and security, the rays twisted out the coldness and hatred of her dream and consequently hugged the girl's cheeks, enveloping her in white bliss. Slender fingers tentatively slid from under the silk covers to allow Serenity to more fully bask in the sun's boon. Her face was flushed in the happiness of the moment, previous sufferings forgotten. The only thing that could ruin the safety she instantly felt shimmering down her would have to be…

"Endymion!" she shrieked as a handsome, dark haired man stalked into her bedroom for the 2nd time.

"Yes, me, princess," he replied casually, closing the door behind him, "and good morning. Your mother wishes for your presence in the breakfast hall."

"Is that all?" she asked uncertainly, still cowering underneath her covers.

"Oh yes, just a warning- I saw Matilda on her way to your bedroom. Ah, there she is."

The oversized, motherly women sauntered into the room, clutching handfuls of silk and velvet material. She looked up unawares at the two youngsters and a smile teased on the corner of her mouth.

"My dear, I did not know you had company. Maybe I should come back later."

The girl, moody in her sleepiness, was too quick in her reply to make it believable. "Matilda! No need. This man," she pointed without turning her head towards him, "will leave, I presume."

He shrugged and strolled out of the room.

"What connection do you have with his majesty the prince of earth, your highness?" the servant asked eagerly, "Politics? Friendship? Or perhaps, romance?"

Serenity visibly paled. "Where did you get that idea?" she squeaked.

"Oh, don't worry princess. It's impossible for anything like that to happen -which is why I mentioned it. Just a fantasy of mine…"

"_It's a shame"_, Matilda thought to herself, _"that he's a Terran and she's a Lunarian. Such a shame. They would have been perfect for each other."_ Matilda barely knew Endymion but from what she had heard of him his gentle maturity and Serenity's moody naivety would have meshed together very nicely.

Serenity, not in the least bit aware of Matilda's inward feelings, contented herself with Matilda's reply. Sighing, she slipped back under the covers.

Matilda started. "Your highness…I'd encourage you to take a bath and get dressed. Your mother's waiting." Serenity sighed and lazily pulled herself from under the bed covers as Matilda made a hasty departure, smiling secretly at the thoughts that had emerged seeing Serenity and Endymion in the same room.

The girl clumsily sleepwalked to the bathroom across from her bed, fumbling with the doorknob as she got there. The door opened after a few successive tries; Serenity breathed the sweet, yet distinct aroma of the hundreds of perfumed soaps, mousses, and the eerie, muggy smell of steaming water –which had just begun leaking into the Jacuzzi, layer after layer, ripple after ripple. She watched in fascination at the simplicity and beauty of the action –something she usually took for granted- the plunk of the water droplets, the purity of the liquid, the soft layer of hot water that evaporated from its surface. One could say that she was easily amused; but that was far from the case. Most of the time she was far off, dreaming, while her mother lectured, but alone, confined to a small bathroom with the sunlight draping through the window, it was impossible not to notice how perfect the light glistened on the surface of the water.

Quietly, she slipped off her robe and slid into her bathtub, allowing the foaming bubbles to gently massage her skin. She had closed the door behind her, but left it unlocked as to not have to fumble with the lock as she had had to on entrance.

Steam rose in tiny circles around the curls that now lay half-sunk in the water. The itching hotness was numbing, and soon Serenity was unaware of her bathroom and the water that surrounded her. Slowly, her thoughts drifted upwards…

"Princess?"

Was she dreaming? It sounded like an echo, rebounding off the sides of her head. Deciding to ignore it, Serenity maneuvered herself lower in the warm water.

"Princess!" the muffled voice cried out again.

Who called her princess? Most people referred to her as her highness or Serenity, and those more intimate as Sere. She couldn't recall anyone having ever called her princess before. It had a tender touch to it, yet still was very formal. Who would ever want to be tender and formal at the same time?

"Princess, your mother is getting quite impatient with you." A great deal of knocking followed.

Serenity's mother was now ruled out. She could also now distinctly tell that it was a male voice, and was too frightened to try and guess who it was herself.

"Who is it?" she yelled, trying to make herself heard from the bathroom.

There was silence. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes," the voice replied hesitantly, "but I'm afraid if I tell you who I am you'll send me away."

Serenity opened her eyes and focused on the door.

"Don't be absurd; of course I won't."

"I'm...It's me, Endymion."

Chocking on soap bubbles, she hurried out of the bliss of water, hair and body dripping wet. Goddess, where was that robe? Heavens, she had to lock that door, and FAST!

The next second, Serenity was madly running to the door, hoping with all her heart that Selene would take pity on her and make Endymion somehow go away before he got to her door.

She had managed to reach the door and her robe, which she hastily swung around her hips, and was about to bolt the door when Serenity felt her legs give way beneath her. Only then did she notice the pool of water that had accumulated on the slippery flooring.

Her companion heard a thud, followed by a shrill shriek from the other side of the room. Swinging open the door, he found a petite girl sprawled across a wet tile surface, clutching a robe to her body, moaning and looking up at him with accusing eyes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You'll be fine, your highness. It's a simple sprain of the ankle. Nothing a little magic can't fix."

Serenity looked up at the old, wiry physician and then at her mother, who seemed to have been silent the whole time. Since the time that Endymion had informed the Queen of Serenity's predicament, she had simply shaken her head in disapproval and had called the palace doctor to Serenity's room. Endymion, however, had been more than active throughout the whole deal. He was extremely knowledgeable in magic, it seemed (with the exception that he could not read minds, a fact she had previously found out), and was very eager to assist the bony, half-blind doctor that had arrived.

She sighed. "I'm sure it can be fixed, but that doesn't mean it won't hurt." The old man mumbled something inaudible and her mother remained, as usual, fixed to her chair and expressionless. On the contrary, Endymion was watching her with so much pity she actually wished he would maintain the Queen's state of mind. She hated sympathy, especially from people her own age.

Suddenly, her mother rose, followed by the doctor, leaving the two of them alone where the problem had started.

"Isn't he going to do anything?" she asked Endymion curiously.

"The doctor you mean? It's unlikely," Endymion laughed, "I barely think he remembers what he came here for."

"True…so I guess I'm stuck like this for a few weeks."

That pitiful expression had reappeared on his features, making her wince in discomfort. "I can help you," he said, stroking her hand. Goddess, he was acting like her mother.

"How so?"

Without replying, he motioned for her to show him her ankle. Uneasily, she lifted her swollen leg onto the fluffy mattress. He glanced at it thoughtfully for a second before gently massaging the reddened skin. A complaint formed in Serenity's throat, but quickly subsided on seeing him so concentrated. Instantly, she felt jolts of lightning shooting through her foot and couldn't resist the urge to squirm at the itchiness; yet on trying to move her foot she found that she couldn't move it at all.

"What did you do!" she demanded?

"Just a bit of magic to calm the soul –or rather, the foot," he said with a sly smile.

"You realize I can't move my foot?"

"Yes perfectly. Be patient, princess." Serenity nodded knowingly, perceiving that in a few minutes the charges would be gone and her ankle would be functional as usual.

Endymion's beautiful, soulful blue eyes closed for a second as the last of the magic transferred from his fingertips into her ankle. Slowly, he lifted his hand, and all at once she had the sensation that her leg, and her leg alone, was flying –senseless, ethereal, and it would have lifted her whole body had not he pull her down again by the shoulder.

"You had to ruin it?" she asked, grinning.

He smirked. "Even I wouldn't want to keep you that happy forever."

"I'm sure. Why did you bother with the magic though? I'm sure the old man would have eventually remembered that he was supposed to cast some maniac spell on my foot."

Shrugging, he said, "Since you obviously think it was my fault this happened, I figured I was obliged to solve the problem as well."

"I never said it was your fault."

"Yes, but you think that."

"You're acting like my mother." It was true. It felt to her as if he was assuming things about her, and she hated that the two of them were always right.

"That basically means that I'm correct in my assumptions. Yet doubtless," he whispered, his tone lowering seductively and his face moving threateningly close to hers, "I'm sure the Queen never does anything like _this_." She could feel his warm breath on her, her eyes hazing and her mind stilling. "Am I right?" There was no more pity in his expression. It was unreadable but wonderful all the more…

She mumbled something to herself and suddenly looked up at him. Endymion was startled at the sudden countenance of her features. The eyes pale and pleading, the hands deeply engrossed in the brisk pushing away of golden strands of hair…she seemed to be trying to tell him something but he had no idea what it was she wanted.

"Serenity! I've been calling you down for breakfast for 30 minutes now!" her mother's voice bellowed.

Serenity jumped at the unexpected voice and scurried down to the breakfast hall, Endymion never losing sight of her.


	5. Chapter 4

**Turning Back **

**A/N:** I've been changing this chapter a lot the past few days…and it keeps getting longer and longer. I didn't want to make it too usual, because I've read other Serenity Endymion stories. Sorry, this chapter doesn't really have any romance in it…it just explains the main problem.

Sorry if I always put too much description! ) I know it gets somewhat boring…it always does on the computer screen. It's actually easier to read if you just copy it onto word.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the characters of Sailor Moon (forgot 2 say this…obviously applies 2 all chapters). I don't own Serenity, Endymion, or the senshi either.

**Chapter 4**

On reaching the breakfast hall, Serenity realized that her mother had good reason to be annoyed at her –every dignitary imaginable had crowded into the room, with more still arriving. It was evident that its size had been elongated, no doubt done by the magic of the Queen or her guardian, Luna. She glanced around the room a second, taking notice of the scrumptious varieties of fresh fruit and juice that had been placed on the long dining tables to quell the hunger of the visitors.

She helped herself to a plate full of chocolate covered strawberries before seating herself on her mother's right hand side at the first table.

All eyes were on her –she knew that- and it felt rather uncomfortable to eat in front of them. She glanced at Endymion, who was sitting across from her and beside a beautiful, aging lady. Noticing with interest that the two shared the same raven black hair and curious smile, she deduced that this was his mother, her highness the Queen of Earth. Their only difference was the latter possessed a pair of charming, brown-green eyes.

The women, seeing Serenity studying her, smiled warmly, walking around the table to her own side, and extended a wrinkled hand.

"May I have the pleasure of treating you with some of these luscious plums? I dare say I have more than enough." She pointed to the small plate that occupied her hand and the purple, plump fruits that lay on it.

At this introduction, the others seated around the table hastily immersed themselves in conversation with their neighbors, a sight which made Serenity sigh in delight. It seemed she was not to be bothered any more.

"Of course, your highness. If I remember correctly, those exact plums were imported from Earth. I would venture to say that you know your planets fruits the best –I could not refuse." The inexperienced girl tried to make her words sound formal and polite without twisting her tongue in agitation. If only her mother knew how hard she tried, she might let her off a bit easier.

Endymion's mother was taken aback at the statement. "I'm startled. I had no idea you knew who I was, let alone where I'm from. Have we been acquainted before?"

Serenity smiled, blushing. "I don't believe so. But I met your son a few days ago, and the fact that he was sitting next to you _and _that you both have the same beautiful black hair was convincing enough." On pronouncing the words 'beautiful' her cheeks tinted a further shade of red.

"Ah…yes, thank you. Endymion takes pride in his hair –maybe a little more than he should." She looked curiously at her son, talking with animation to the Moon Queen, and sighed.

Serenity laughed, pleased that the conversation was actually becoming enjoyable. "I think he does get carried away sometimes, without realizing it." Had she been wrong about Terran's, after all? This particular lady was of the pleasant, laid-back sort…the very type she guiltily wished her uptight mother would be.

The Terran queen started at the ringing playfulness in the girl's laugh. Instantly, she was reminded of the model daughter she had always dreamed of as an expectant mother.

"Did you arrive today, your majesty?"

"Call me Tara," the woman suggested with a dimpled smile, "but yes, I did arrive today. I was restricted back at home and was unable to arrive with Endymion."

"What about his majesty?"

"Oh, he's a tired old fella' –he doesn't like traveling much. It does him well for us to leave him at home."

Serenity smiled appreciatively. "That's too bad…I was counting on meeting him."

Tara glanced at the girl and was able to make out a sly smile creeping out of the corners of her mouth. "What," she asked, jokingly, "were you wondering if he looked like Endymion?"

Serenity nodded and blushed.

"He does. Only his father has violet hair." On seeing Serenity suppress a laugh, she added, "Mm, it is quite a sight. And he has dark blue eyes, which his son inherited. You see, I have hazel eyes. They're my pride. It's too bad there's almost no chance of the trait being carried down by the generations."

"I'm not exactly sure if he would look better with your eyes," Serenity murmured, glancing at him, "I think it's more of a feminine quality."

There was a pause while the queen looked slowly at the ground, fumbling with her fingers, until she suddenly whipped her head up and plunged into the depths of Serenity's sky-blue orbs.

"Look, I know this is getting a bit personal, but…I would appreciate it if you could somehow make him less of the arrogant brat he is and more like…you. He's a clever boy and knows how to get on people's good sides –his personality is quite charming at first- but having to live with it is unbearable. He doesn't really do any harm other than the fact that he is a bit snobbish."

Serenity was charmed at this statement. "I'm flattered that you think that, though I suspect he only acts that way with you, being his mother. My mother herself doesn't have the most favourable opinion of me. Look at her, always checking on me, as if the next second I might do something stupid and get myself kidnapped." Her face darkened, remembering her dream and the circumstances.

The older woman nodded, but countered, "Still, will you try?"

"Of course, Tara." The Queen clasped her hands together and gave her an appreciative pat before settling herself across from her again, still mouthing her thanks.

Frowning, Endymion looked at his mother, who in turn smiled up at him. Suppressing a laugh, Serenity resumed eating her juicy strawberries.

The Terran Queen looked up at her son, who seemed to be a little too engrossed in his sliced tangerines.

"Endymion," she whispered, "why don't you find some Terran girl like the Lunarian one sitting across the table? I can't stand all those disgusting women you bring to our court."

"Mother," he said innocently, a secret grin playing on his face.

Serenity gasped as the ruby fruits began outlining the shape of a pair of full lips, wide and grinning. The deafening cry of a vulture punctured the air, as the lips continued sounding the words _'moon princess'_ over and over, like little menaces. The words bounced around her head, and as hard as she tried, she found no way to regain her presence of mind. Serenity had no doubt she was hallucinating, but she couldn't help her mind going faint and her eyes going black, silently being transported to the world of her nightmares…

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

_"I'm losing faith in you, Jedeite," the monster bellowed, her voice echoing across the palace, "You still haven't devised a sufficient plan to capture the moon princess."_

_Jedeite stood a good distance from Beryl, glancing at the palace walls that seemed to confine him into the building of torture. He shuddered, gulping at the fact that his master was evidently furious. _

_"Oh, spare me, your majesty, for I have now devised a new plan, much, much better than the first."_

_"The first was to break down the moon palace and kidnap the girl Serenity," Beryl mocked, "and I'm still surprised that you didn't realize that the architecture was developed with supreme magic, designed to hold out people like us."_

_"Of course, your majesty."_

_"Go on," she interrupted._

_"The moon princess has a fiancé, called Seran." Jedeite smiled, knowing that he need not say any more._

_Beryl smirked inwardly and let out a loud, belching laugh.  
_

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"Serenity! Wake up, I command of you. Once this morning was more than enough. But this is too much! You must regard your duties, you are a princess! You have matters to attend to!"

Awakening to the distressing words of her mother, the blonde groaned to find that they were alone, propped on the carpeted floor of the breakfast hall.

"What happened?"

"You fainted," her mother replied in frustration, yanking her up by the leg, "And now you're better. Come, we have to go to the conference room –after all, we are the ones hosting the meeting."

"Mother! That's the ankle I sprained this morning," she yelled, not paying attention to what her mother had said and looking scornfully at her. She rubbed her throbbing ankle, which had suddenly started aching again.

"That was a result of your own carelessness, my dear."

"Oh, mother! Listen to me! Do you want to know how I _really_ sprained my ankle? It was all Endymion's fault."

Her mother sighed in exasperation. "There's no time to listen to your pointless stories, I'm afraid."

"What pointless stories? I'll have you know that the very man I have suggested was on the verge of opening my bathroom door and encountering me _a la nude_! By Selene, what did you expect me to do? Just stand there and let him come in? I was running to lock the door when I slipped on the wet floor. You must agree, mother, that this is not my fault." By now she had jumped up and was standing face to face with her mother, her head heated with anger.

"I don't see why it isn't, dear. Pray tell why you didn't just tell him you were bathing?"

She was about to reply when she realized that she couldn't tell her mother that this probably would have fueled him to open the door with even more urgency. She shielded her thoughts in the nick of time.

"What are you shielding from me?" Queen Serenity demanded, sensing that there were undetected vibrations being emitted from her daughters' body.

Serenity was silent.

"Useless girl!"

On the verge of tears, she cried, "I don't see why I'm not allowed to shield my thoughts. You yourself aren't very open with me. Why have you never told me what _really _happened to my father? Killed in battle? I don't think so. Goddess, I don't even know what his name is!"

The Queen stopped and looked at her daughter with a mixture of anxiety and anguish. Before Serenity could figure out what happened, she had dropped to the floor, her head in her arms.

The young girl was now unable to hold back the tears in her eyes and they gushed out all at once, dampening her dress and wetting her delicate face. "Oh mother, I'm sorry," she sobbed, thrusting herself into her mother's arms and burying her face in her bosom, feeling like a little girl running to her parents, "I didn't mean it! Oh Selene, please make her forget what I've just said, so selfish and spoiled that I am!"

Serenity II quietly took the girl into her arms, sympathy and concern written on her features. Smoothing the girl's hair, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Jedeite," she whispered, "Oh, come back, appease my poor daughter. Ah, how she suffers! Only with her wretch of a mother! Why did you leave me?" The Queen folded her hands in prayer and quickly wiped away Serenity's tears.

"Maybe we should cancel the meeting," Serenity asked reproachfully.

"How innocent you are," came the reply, "This is nothing a little magic can't fix."

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

A while later, Serenity and her mother, looking thoroughly composed and joyful, strolled into the conference room to behold the sight of a pack of awaiting ministers, senators, royalties, and others.

"Greetings, and welcome to the moon, fellow dignitaries," said Serenity, trying her best not to break into a nervous fit.

The Queen rubbed Serenity's back, combing a finger through her daughters golden, yet matted hair. "Please excuse my daughter; this is her first political conference, and I trust you all will be extremely helpful to her."

Serenity tried her best to smile and scanned the room for an empty seat. Endymion was signaling to her that there was a vacant seat next to him, and having no other choice, folded her legs beside him. Her mother, as usual, seated herself at the head chair.

"To introduce our visitors," the Queen began, scanning the assembly, "Here is his honor the prince of mars, representatives of his court, her highness the Queen of Venus, accompanied by the prince and…"

At this the girl decided that it would be the perfect time to catch up on the sleep that had been disturbed by her nightmare, as the speech wasn't worth listening to, and for a good half hour she allowed her eyes to droop and her mind to swoon…

"Huh?" she exclaimed, her mouth foaming, to the displeasure of the stoic, observant men surrounding her. Serenity, embarrassed, realized that she had been dozing again. She had the faint remembrance that something had happened; nevertheless, she was unable to decipher what exactly it was.

Her mother was rambling on about Jupiter –that was all she could figure out- beginning by explaining matters Serenity did not understand, and as much as she tried to focus she was constantly being distracted by the grinning look on Endymion's irresistible face. So she decided to take advantage of it.

She looked at him, expressing in her eyes that she was hopeless and he was, of course, perfect as always, and he seemed to know that she wanted him to explain to her what exactly her mother was talking about.

Endymion bent over thoughtfully, pressing his lips to Serenity's ear: "They're talking about building a mass of Selene temples on Jupiter."

Again tuning into the Queen's speech, she was just able to make out what she was discussing:

"…to promote religion across the Selene Alliance and to sustain harmony. Also, since Jupiter is by definition the planet exactly at the midpoint of the Alliances harbor, the Solar System, it would serve as the perfect location…" Again, she decided to focus her attention on more worthy things…things that made her blush in embarrassment.

Serenity instantly felt a warm arm brush past hers and looking up, discovered that Endymion had stood up.

"Your majesty, Endymion, crowned prince of Earth," the Queen acknowledged.

"I don't mean to be rude, your highness," he started, "but not all of us present have faith in the Goddess Selene. This is one of the reasons the Earth wishes to secede from the Selene Alliance." At this she was reminded that they had been talking about building temples on Jupiter because…she couldn't remember the reason.

Serenity's mother paled, yet quickly collected her senses. "I presume it's about time we discuss that issue."

What issue, she thought frantically, and why was he talking?

"Yes, your majesty," he replied, his outspoken eyes darting towards Serenity, before hurriedly whisking around the room.

As these words were being said, a strawberry blonde from Venus pushed herself out of her chair and stood before the assembly.

"Your highness, Mina, princess of Venus." She was a Venusian! Serenity had always wished to meet one, as they were much praised for their beauty and romanticisms –and was not disappointed. The girl was about Serenity's age, a bit short, but slender and feminine, boasting pin-straight hair and a peach complexion.

On seeing the girl, a replica of the goddess Aphrodite, Endymion hastily sifted a hand through his aristocratic black hair, exhaling gently. This Venusian beauty was the type he usually infatuated himself with.

He was surprised to find that this time, for some reason, he was painstakingly not impressed by the girl's unmistakable beauty. Unconsciously, he found himself comparing her to Serenity: the difference lay in the unique and the lovely. Endymion could firmly be assured that the Venusian's beauty was widely recognized, as she was receiving intent glances by the younger men of the group. No doubt, Serenity had received glares too, but more so glares of amusement rather than interest. Some could say she was a physical oddity, yet to him that was her strongest appeal. The almost curly, shining golden hair, the extra-wide, amazing blue eyes…of course the other's blonde, stringy hair and pink, flirty eyes were no match.

Serenity clearly noticed the movements of Endymion on viewing the princess, and was confused on whether it was because he was impressed or not. She also wasn't sure which way she favored.

The girl opened her rosy mouth to speak. "This is an outrage! How dare they ruin the tranquility our alliance has experienced for centuries? I say their pleas be ignored." With this she stepped back down to her position in the chair.

Another girl, a Martian going by the name Rei, hopped up. Endymion smiled, knowing she was another unique one. The girl boasted straight, black hair, like his own, and purple-violet, intense eyes, long-lashed and full.

"I agree with Mina-Babeena!" she chirped, "Like, they should _so_ be ignored. Seriously!" Rei giggled and smiled broadly. Endymion winced and pushed back his hair. Too unique.

This time Endymion didn't wait to be acknowledged. "If you ignore us, we'll make you pay attention to us. In other words, we are more than ready to wage war."

Serenity was uncertain, but somehow found the courage to voice her opinion. "Wage war? I think that's being a bit harsh. I'm sure we could negotiate something. First, however, we must be certain of the reason for this conflict."

"Pri-" he began, stopping himself from saying 'princess', "That can be readily revealed. We've always been left out by the Alliance. Religious ceremonies, meetings…" He added in an undertone so only she could hear, "We were only invited to this one because we were part of the problem."

"But surely we've always accepted your beliefs and haven't interfered at all?" she cut in.

"Hah! Of course! You just barge in whenever you want to. You and your security, 'checking on us'. We don't need you and we don't want you. It's time we become independent. I'm not speaking for myself; I'm speaking for what my people demand."

"Look at you and your filthy planet!" she exclaimed, throwing her hair back in anger and frustration, "Look at your problems! Pollution, racism, war…and this you're trying to throw back at us? Our peaceful planet hasn't known war for centuries. I say you just pack your bags and we'll ship you off into some black hole…"

"Serenity!" a booming voice exclaimed. "You will address him as prince only, and not interrupt him while he's talking." Then glancing at the others: "You will excuse my daughter, I presume. In the meantime, I feel we should dismiss the topic, and perhaps it should be discussed privately to avoid too many interruptions."

A murmur of agreement washed through the crowd.

"I trust you all will attend our engagement reception this evening, where we will be hosting a complimentary ball. Feel free to dance to your hearts content," the Queen exclaimed with a smile.

At this the crowd dispersed through the doors of the conference room, with Serenity pondering over the fact that there was apparently an engagement ceremony that evening. As she herself walked to the door and was about to thrust it open, she felt two hands on her shoulder: one of Endymion's and one of her mother's.

Immediately, Endymion withdrew his hand and quickly exited the room, leaving the mother and her daughter alone in silence.

"Ah, mother," Serenity began, "I'm sorry that I interrupted his highness." To herself she reflected that it would have been better if she hadn't strived to open her mouth. Her opinions were never greeted warmly.

"It would be better if we don't talk about that," her mother replied coldly, "I wanted to talk to you about your engagement ceremony this evening."

Serenity almost screamed. _Her_ engagement ceremony? Why hadn't she been informed of this before?

"Mother! Seran hasn't even arrived yet!"

"Yes," she reflected sadly, "He was meant to be present for the meeting this morning, yet undoubtedly he has been held back by some other important matter. Pardon him. He's really a nice boy." Serenity rolled her eyes in annoyance. Then she remembered that he had been somehow involved in her nightmare. What could this Mercurian possibly do? Her mind buzzed in reproach for her own confusion.

"What am I to do at the ceremony?" she asked.

"The usual," the elderly lady confirmed, "exchanging rings and dancing with your fiancé."

Dancing with her fiancé? Oh, dear. That was a stretch.

"Of course, mother. I'd be delighted," she lied. Her mother smiled broadly back at her.

"Good. I'll leave you down here to get more breakfast. Once your done you have half a day to amuse yourself before you are obliged to attend the ceremony. Don't cause yourself to be late." With this her mother left her.

Alone, Serenity decided to follow her mother's advise and directed herself towards the breakfast hall once more. Yet as soon as she had turned into the mentioned corridor, a hand clasped her wrist.

"Princess," Endymion murmured, his features sufficiently calmed after the incident.

"Endymion," she acknowledged back.

"I'm sorry," she stated simply.

He shook his head. "Don't be. It was my mistake; I forgive you. You were brought up that way, anyway –I should have known." She wasn't sure if she should be relieved or furious at that statement.

"I think you were meaning to tell me something back in your bedroom," he said gently.

Her mind riveted back to that scene, and was unable to find any reference to her wishing to tell him anything.

"Through your beautiful blue eyes," he explained, with a sly smile.

Serenity blushed. She thought she was the only person who appreciated how beautiful eyes could be, and how expressive they could become. Nevertheless, she had never really considered her supposedly mundane, wide sky-blue eyes extremely interesting, let alone beautiful, before.

"My eyes betray me sometimes," she said, a bit embarrassed.

"So you really did want to tell me something?"

"I think so, yes," Serenity began; uncertain on whether she should tell him this. She hadn't even thought of telling her mother about her nightmare –her mother would have most probably sent her a plethora of security guards, embarrassingly more interested in herself than their job.

"You see, I had this dream today. I guess you could call it a vision." She stopped uncertainly, and began pacing the floor, trying to escape Endymion's intent glare.

"Hmm?" he said, visibly interested now, "Go on, please."

"Yes, you could call it a vision. There was this horrible, beautiful monster, and-"

"Beautiful?" he asked, grinning.

"Mhm. Her name was Beryl."

Endymion's grin faded. "I faintly know her." Serenity glared at him and he immediately stopped interrupting her.

"She was accompanied by a pale blonde named Jedeite, obviously her servant. And they were talking about me. About kidnapping me for energy, and then taking over the moon and the Selene Alliance.

"At breakfast I received a second, more mysterious vision. Jedeite had formed a plan –something about my fiancé. I'm not sure what exactly it means. I'm not even sure if it's reality. Yet it was apparently powerful enough to cause me to faint at the breakfast table this morning."

"Yes, I remember that," Endymion retorted in grim countenance.

"I was hoping you might know something about her, as she seems to be stationed on Earth."

Endymion paled and was silent for a moment, seeming to be in ambivalence. Then he pushed her into the nearest wall, and crouching low, murmured in a husky, low tone, "Dare not tell anyone we had this conversation."

"Not even my mother?" she whispered back.

"No. No one. Now, tell me about your fiancé."

She pursed her brows and tried to remember everything her mother had told her. "He's from mercury. He's…23 I think. Maybe a little younger."

"But his name?"

"Seran."

Endymion's clear eyes clouded for a second and he closed his eyes. Still closing his eyes and groaning, he asked, "So you're saying your fiancé's name is..."

"Seran, yes," she repeated anxiously.

He cursed violently, slamming his fist on the wall and shattering the picture of her mother above his hand.

"Endymion!" Serenity cried fearfully. She tried to retract his arm from the wall, but he just pushed her away with such force that she landed on the ground.

Serenity crossed her legs, trying not to break out crying. "You know him?" she whispered.

He turned towards her and helped her back on her feet. "I know him. We met…somewhere." He looked at the ground and then back up at her. He grasped her hand with his own trembling one for support. "Princess…be careful around him."

"Why?" she questioned, fearing the answer.

"He's going to try to kidnap you."

Serenity uttered a cry and launched herself into his arms. "You…You'll protect me, right?"

He looked at her sadly, turning away. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

**A/N: **_REVIEW!_


	6. Chapter 5

**Turning Back**

Chapter 5

A/N: So this chapter's about the engagement ceremony…yeah Rei's in this again. I love her. It's funny; I just had to make her all weird in the story, cuz usually her character's So serious! )

For the record, I think this is one of the chapters that you _have_ to hate. It's kind of disappointing at the end…

Oh yeah, this chapter is LONG! And yes, it does seem incomplete. It partly is…I started writing the next chapter, but then I thought that too much was happening in one chapter.

Disclaimer: 'same old'

Review!

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"You look particularly beautiful this evening, your majesty."

Serenity smiled curtly at her maid and sat down daintily, looking down at the gown Matilda had tailored for the evening. It began at the onset of her chest, brilliant gold in color and embedded with silver sequins and fancy lace. Clinging to the shape of her body perfectly, (a bit too tightly –she had almost choked while the laces were being tied), it billowed down in structured waves, emphasizing the length of her legs. She hardly enjoyed wearing prim dresses of the sort. Fortunately, no gloves were suffocating her fingers –Matilda had let her off on that. Her hair had been loosely pinned on her head, allowing soft tendrils of curls to sweep down and tickle her bare neck, and her face had been left untouched –the natural gloss of her lips and blush that was always evident on her cheeks left no room for makeup. Gazing in the hand mirror, Serenity found that her reflection seemed remarkably foreign.

"Sere?" The bathroom door swung open as her mother strode into the room, kneeling beside her daughter. Serenity looked on quizzically as she opened her clasped hand, revealing a priceless bluish crystal, strung on a glinting silver necklace.

"What's this?" she asked, knowing the answer.

"I've been wanting to put this into your possession for a long time. I've kept it long enough." Her mother smiled and pushed it into the girl's slender hands. "What better time to give the Silver Imperium crystal to you then on the day of your engagement?"

Serenity nodded, inwardly cringing at the fact that her mother took so much importance in the ceremony. "Should I wear it now?"

"Yes I'd like that," she replied, patting her shoulder, "I'll be going now. Seran's waiting outside to escort you to the ballroom."

At the mention of the name Seran, her mind rushed back to her conversation with Endymion. She trusted Endymion, yet somehow found it hard to believe that her mother would choose, out of all the royal princes available, the one who was plotting to kidnap her. Nevertheless…

"Mother?" she asked, trying not to offend her in any way, "Do you think…do you think it would be alright if I went there myself? I mean…I enjoy my own solitude and I'll have plenty of time to get to know Seran when I arrive."

"Of course not, Sere! I'm astonished! It is quite the tradition for the affianced to enter together. Now, I'll be going. I'm responsible for greeting the guests. If it makes you feel any better, you look charming, dear." Her mother pinched her cheeks, her companion wincing in pain, and gathered her skirts to leave the room.

Serenity rubbed her sore cheeks, motioning for Matilda to leave as well. The maid bowed and hastily departed.

There was no way she was walking three sets of staircases alone with a mysterious man rumored to be a kidnapper –her kidnapper. Maybe she could persuade Endymion to follow them? He was the only male she knew capable of actually protecting her from the man she feared…

_"I'm afraid I can't do that." _

She sighed, unconsciously stroking the twinkling gem dangling low on her neck. He had seemed so friendly and strong up to that moment…and then to say he couldn't help her? It stung, stung harder than anything she had ever endured before. She had felt so safe…so damn safe in his arms and then to just block her out…it was cruelty, pure cruelty. He didn't care for her, not at all. He didn't care for her…but he wasn't lying. She knew that. The way his eyes had clouded for a second, and the way he had looked at her with so much truth and sympathy lingering in his normally clear ocean-blue orbs was reason enough.

The one thing she couldn't understand was why she cared that he felt nothing for her. Every time that fluttering danced in her stomach…the blush peeping up…why couldn't she stand it that he had just turned away and left her there, alone and afraid? She felt something for him, yet at the same time, dreaded his presence, wanting to tear him apart for causing so much conflict with the Selene Alliance…gods what was she feeling? She's heard of love but she was sure it wasn't that –they said when you were in love you forgot everything…but with him she remembered. Remembered that she should be disgusted by her feelings, but wasn't.

Slowly, she slipped her slippers onto her feet and allowed the door to gently creak open. She could make out a figure in the distance, leaning against the marble hallway that led to the staircase.

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Endymion glanced at himself briefly in the mirror, not caring what he looked like. His new sporty blue tuxedo and the glossy shine of his black, velvety hair were all left unnoticed as he roughly grabbed the arm of his mother and hardly gallantly, led her across the hallway to the staircase.

"Endy, is anything wrong?" his mother asked, a bit taken aback by the sudden carelessness of her son.

"Nothing," he replied with nonchalance.

"You sure, honey? If there's some problem, all you have to do is ask."

Endymion didn't reply.

He sincerely felt horrible for refusing to help Serenity –really horrible- and the impenetrable, shocked glare she had unconsciously set his way had nearly killed him. He felt for the girl, more than he knew, but he had already made up his mind.

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Serenity glared at the tall man in front of her. He was pale, lanky, and boasted extremely bright red-orange hair, shoulder-length and ruffled. The next most distinct feature after his unusual, lengthy hair were a pair of brilliant green eyes, slightly shaded by messy orange bangs. They, too, seemed to be studying her amusedly and rather carelessly. Suddenly, she realized that she had been standing there fixedly, awestruck, for a great deal of time.

"Well," she piped nervously, plastering herself on the wall opposite him, "We should be going."

Seran quirked an eyebrow and propped his elbow towards her. Tentatively, she took it, and the two slowly made their way across to the staircase.

"You scared?" he asked, looking down at her with a look unreadable and menacing at the same time. Serenity gawked at him, unable to reply to such a blatant statement.

Every time she looked at him she mentally reprimanded herself for forming opinions based on his menacing, too-brilliant features, telling herself that looks could be deceiving. True, he seemed handsome enough –yet his features seemed too sharp and cunning -the glint in his eye, the spiked strands of hair that threatened to poke her rosy cheeks when he bent near- and so she occupied herself by staring at the ground.

"It's fine, Serenity. I don't see why you're so preoccupied with it," he said huskily.

"Huh?" she blurted as she walked down the flight of stairs, thoroughly confused.

"Your hair," he explained, watching her tiny fingers sweeping through the golden strands. She glanced up at herself, realizing that she had been playing with it for the past few minutes.

"Oh," she mumbled under her breath, embarrassed that her irate mood had seemed so obvious.

"It's beautiful," he said, studying her closely, "or so Endymion says."

What! Endymion? She flushed, unaware that Seran was still watching her. When did they ever…oh Selene!

Seran watched as the girl in front of him halted abruptly, sensing her fingers trembling under his grasp and her face turning a hue of pink. "Just as I guessed," he thought with a smile, "How fortunate. Bless Endymion. It only makes my task so much easier." He watched the girl another second and then, without any further remark, led her into the ballroom.

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"Seran? Would you be so kind as to lead Serenity to the alter?"

Serenity glanced nervously around the filled hall, taking in the delightful decorations that had succeeded in transforming the normally bare hall into a magnificent reception. The aroma of fresh food which gently wafted through the room perfumed it with the perfect combination of savory meats, milky sweets, and frothing desserts. As she and Seran walked down the aisles together, she couldn't help wondering how her mother could prepare such a fantastic spectacle in only a few hours and with only a limited amount of magic.

Her mother seated them in a pair of plush chairs that rather reminded Serenity of the thrones the old royalties had used to use to rule over their people. Those tyrants…but that had been centuries ago.

All eyes were on them again, those wide, amused eyes, opinionated and assuming. Yet they were friendly at the same time, approving, urging her on. She smiled and perused the crowd. The faces all seemed unfamiliar and in turn, she passed through them easily…that is until she spotted the pair of crystal, intense blue eyes she knew so well.

Quickly she averted her glance, looking at her mother, and willing herself for once not to think of the man who was so often in her thoughts.

Her mother was talking to the spectators, casting murmurs of acknowledgment amongst the crowd as she explained the 'blissful' occasion of the first step in matrimony.

"…so with that, I'd like to call upon our temple priest, Magnon."

Magnon was a short, hunchbacked fellow. Stout and wobbly, he constantly carried an ancient, cryptic Birchwood cane. Ever since her birth, he had been attached to Serenity as a father would be, and had been delighted when offered the opportunity to perform her engagement. Little did he know it was the last thing she wanted.

"Ah, my daughter, what a pleasure!" he cried as he approached his dear Serenity, "What a pleasure!" He clasped her hands and raised them to heaven as a sign of his endearment.

"Oh, Magnon! How nice to see you again!" she whispered, genuinely happy at the unexpected visit.

"Magnon," her mother exclaimed, "I'd hate to break you two apart, but I'm afraid we have to go on with the ceremony!"

The crowd laughed, Serenity smiling.

"Well then, let's begin. Seran, Serenity, please join your right hands," he crackled, coughing.

Seran extended his arm casually and Serenity took it.

"Now," he continued, "Seran, slip this ring, the blessed ring of the Selene dynasty, onto the fourth finger of Serenity's right hand."

He slipped it onto her ring finger, then brought the hand to his lips. She hardly suppressed herself from wincing.

Magnon turned around. "May these two join blissfully under the watchful eye of Selene and be blessed. As we offer Serenity to Seran, we offer her to Selene as well."

A deathly silence presumed, followed by an eruption of cheerful chatter.

The priest bowed, shouting, "Let the ball begin!"

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The first set of brave dancers had entered the dance floor, smoothly dancing a pleasant waltz with their partners. As was custom, Serenity and Seran had been the first to start off the ball, dancing alone to a slow, romantic melody. Yes, it had been grueling: his chest had been too close to hers for her own enjoyment, and whenever he looked down at her she could make out a glint of malice in his bright features. However, he was an expert dancer -at least, much better than she was, and he had led her around center stage to the extent that she had only needed to move her feet and Seran had directed them. Only once did she think of the other man whose enrapturing grip she would have liked to have been on her waist –but she had quickly vanquished that thought as easily as she had thought of it.

Now she sat relaxed next to her mother, lightly dozing and enjoying the pleasant melodies that soothed into her ear…

"Serenity?" a playful voice intervened.

"Excuse me?" she cried, instantly retracting out of her chair and turning face to face with a raven-haired, violet-eyed, bubbly young girl.

"Rei?"

"You know who I am! Wow? I didn't know I was that famous, actually. Anyways, Renity, I saw you looking all bored and decided to come cheer you up! So here I am!" Rei grinned and stuck out her hand. Serenity took it, her hand being shaken violently by the force of the other princess's.

"And I also wanted to congratulate you on your engagement to Seran! He's so handsome…you are so lucky!"

Serenity rolled her eyes. "You think I'm lucky? You can have him."

Rei looked at her sympathetically, patting her shoulders. "Oh, I get it. You don't want to get married, do you?"

"No." She was beginning to like this girl, at least her bluntness, in some weird, sarcastic sort of way. At least she was interesting enough to keep her company.

"That's too bad."

"It's ok," Serenity said softly, "I'm sure it happens a lot."

Rei shook her head innocently. "Not really. I'm your age, I suppose. 16, right? Well, _I'm_ not getting married any time soon…at least I hope not."

Serenity sighed, weighing the truth of the statement and slumping deeper into her chair.

"Well, _someone_ sure looks depressed! I'm sure I can fix that. Come on, I'll show you around. I've met some people already."

She seemed to be pensive for a second, before laughing and adding, "Well, really only one person. Renity, you gotta help me out with him. Put in a few compliments for me, would you? I'm hoping to guide him to the dance floor." Rei winked at her and looked dreamily at the couples waltzing in front of them.

Smiling, Serenity allowed herself to be led off to the right side of the reception by the eager Rei. A twinge of jealousy sprang up in her body as she realized that Rei would be able to marry any man she wanted -yet she quickly shrugged it off and looked up at the 'dream' man Rei had so boldly led her to.

Her jaw dropped.

"Why hello, Princess," Endymion retorted, his usual smirk missing, "I see you've finally come to join your unworthy friends on the opposite side of the hall."

"Yes," she muttered hesitantly, a bit concerned at the strange solemnity in his usually boyish and overpowering features. His soulful eyes were missing something…she was sure of it. No mischievous glint washed over them; no laughing spirit twinkled delightfully. If she didn't know better she would have thought him…sorrowful.

"What do you think?" Rei asked eagerly, bringing her to the side and clapping her hands together in anxiousness.

"Oh, he's ok," she replied, plastering a fake smile on her falling face, "but if you'd like, I'll throw in a word or two for you."

"Great! I'll leave you to that while I get some refreshments," Rei sang happily, skipping to the nearest counter.

Rei left on that note, unaware of the mental turmoil her two friends were facing.

"_Now_ what am I supposed to do?" Serenity asked herself, both mind and heart racing, "I don't expect he means for me to just stand here, acting like an idiot." Having nothing else to say, she decided the take on the conversation she had promised Rei she would undertake.

"Rei's a funny girl, isn't she?"

Endymion looked at her curiously. "Yes, she is. A bit too quirky for me, though. Why do you ask?"

_Poor Rei_. "Oh, no reason. It's only that she seems to like you considerably. I think she's been meaning to steal a dance with you."

He didn't even have the gallantry to laugh –he simply shrugged. "Well then, I'll dance with her."

"You don't even like her, do you?" she asked, a bit startled he would seem so collected. He should be flattered.

"No. I'll just dance with her and get it over with. She'll get over me."

"You egoistic jerk!" she jabbed, her brows creasing, "You dare give her the false hope?"

"Well, do you want me to go up to her, tell her I'm not interested, and have her crying on my shoulder? I don't think so." Serenity turned slightly pink, recollecting the many times he had witnessed _her_ overreacting. She turned away slightly.

"Oh, Princess," he groaned, understanding, "I didn't mean it like that…I've never thought of you that way…" She crossed her arms over her heaving chest.

"I guess this would be a bad time to ask _you _to dance?" he asked, reaching for her hands.

"How do I know you aren't just trying to give me false hope, like you would've with Rei?" Serenity asked smugly.

"Because I'm asking you myself," he replied, catching hold of her hands, the grinning, playful Endymion returning. "By the way, what type of _hope_ were you talking about?"

She blushed and pretended to slap him as he whisked her towards the back of the room, firmly planting a hand on her slim waist while the other clasped her hand. It felt pleasurably different from her first dance. The way he was holding her, tender and relaxed, instead of fiery and controlled –the way his arms grazed her neck ever so lightly and the way she could feel his towering, arched head breathing into her hair…it was enough to make her want to rip out her hairpins in madness –every intimate touch made her head run crazy, wanting to tear him apart somehow, and knowing she couldn't.

"Do you have any idea how you drive me crazy?" he whispered lightly, his hair tickling her forehead.

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing. Only it was meant to be more of a scolding." Endymion laughed and led her to the adjoining balcony, apart from the other dancers.

"I think I'll stop dancing," she mumbled softly, "I swear, if you twirl me around one more time I'll faint. And they'll accuse you. Well, it would be your fault, anyways."

"Stop chattering."

"Why? I'll chatter all I want. I'll have you know, I have no other time to chatter. I'm quite bored throughout the day. There's no one here except mother and Luna, and Magnon and the bookkeeper, and the caterer…ok, I give in, there _are _a lot of people to talk to. Only, they're all busy most of the time. When I'm done with my royal studies, I usually just dream. It's my favorite pastime…"

Endymion sat staring at her in fascination, watching her every movement. The cobalt earthlight poured perfectly onto the terrace of the open balcony, falling in sync with the bubbling, clear blue eyes that swam across his vision. The girl's skin, flushed, stood brilliantly against the mysterious darkness of the night, only further enhancing her every feature. Golden locks, inviting, danced atop the girl's forehead as the gentle breeze caressed her face. And yet she, innocent as she was, had no idea of the miracles nature was playing on him.

"You give me no other choice," he breathed, bending down towards her and watching her eyes widen in amazement. "You really are a goddess," he said simply, pausing before locking his hard lips with her sweet ones tenderly. Serenity's eyes fluttered closed, realizing that for once, he sincerely meant what he was saying. And that was enough for her. The relief –oh, the relief, that he still cared for her, cared for her more than before, flooded into her heart, and she remembered not that he was a Terran…because all she could think about was the fact that he was kissing her.

Slowly, he let go of her, breathless, maintaining the position of his face a few inches from her flushed one.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" he drawled, breathless. She gazed up at him amazedly as he touched her cheek.

"Why does everyone seem to be saying that today?" she retorted, blushing and trying to evade his headstrong gaze.

"Possibly because it's true." He swept down again, planting butterfly kisses down her bare collarbone. She moaned and fell against him.

"You really have guts-" she began, his mouth taking the place of her words. She mumbled something incoherent as he trailed his steady hand down her spine.

"What were you saying?" he asked when they paused for air.

"That you really had guts for taking advantage of me on the day of my engagement." Endymion said nothing, only looked knowingly at her in the pale earthlight, smiling. He gazed down at her necklace and gently lifted it up to his clear blue eyes, pushing lone black strands out of his way.

"I'd advise you not to wear this, princess," he whispered seriously, bending over her again so that all she could see was his face threateningly close to hears. She trembled and snatched it out of his grasp.

"You wouldn't even know what it is."

"Ah, but I would. It's the Silver Imperium crystal, which has been passed down the Serenity dynasty for generations. And now it's been given to you."

Serenity looked at him, puzzled. "You're right, as always. But then…why should I take it off?"

"Because it attracts attention," he whispered, unclasping the hook and pushing the diamond into her fist before she could stop him, "and that's something I wouldn't want near you, speaking as…"

"I get the point," she interrupted tartly. "Why are you suddenly so keen on protecting me? And yet you refuse to do it person."

He was silent for a second, entertaining himself by twirling strands of her hair around his fingers. "Let's just say it's the best I can do to help you, seeing as I can't do much else."

"But why can't you do much else?" she asked, not quite understanding what he meant.

"I…can't explain that to you right now. Trust me; I do want to help you. Badly. I have to hold myself back from doing anything stupid."

"Stupid?" she questioned, hurt.

"Stupid for me. You don't understand. Some day you will." He laughed, edging himself closer to her. "And the day you do, you'll make me fall on your feet and beg forgiveness. Because it's such an idiotic reason."

Serenity laughed and he kissed her over again. "I'm sure it's perfectly reasonable. By the way…don't you think the ball is almost over?"

"You're right," he answered, sighing, "I suppose we should be going. Soon your mother will be looking for you." He turned his gaze longingly up to the starry night sky.

She followed his gaze, basking in the radiating limelight of the Earth hanging lopsided in the pitch-back darkness. "It's reminds me of you," she said plainly.

"What does?"

"The Earth. I'll never understand it, and yet it never ceases to amaze me. So beautiful." She ruffled his hair. "And yet the source of all our problems…has anyone ever told you what a devil you are?"

"They've mentioned it," Endymion replied, grinning down at her.

"What's it like anyway, the Earth?" she asked, awestruck.

"Oh…it's wonderful. It's a plain world, not susceptible to any of the magic that roams on the moon. Some would call it coarse. But it's magical in its own way…" Serenity watched as Endymion stared up at his home planet, his eyes darkening, blending with the mysterious darkness of the night. "And yet it has so many problems," he added to himself.

"You're leaving tomorrow, aren't you? The Earth conflict isn't going to be solved anytime soon at this rate…" she bit her lip, wincing as fresh blood spurted out of the cut.

"I'm afraid I am leaving," he said solemnly, his eyes still fixed on the Earth.

"So I'll never see you again?"

He smiled and bent over her. "I'm pleased that you're so touched. I'm really pleased. But you shouldn't be, princess."

She looked at him sadly, and before she could control her emotions she was in his arms again, silent tears wetting her cheeks.

"It's a shame," he thought to himself, wiping the tears off her usually radiant face, "It's a shame we weren't meant for each other. I might have even gone so far as to say something idiotic like I was in love with her…"

"Princess," he began, "I'd like to walk you back to your room. Wait for me after the conclusion of the ball." She didn't ask for an explanation –only nodded.

Serenity and Endymion silently entered the ballroom, quickly turning away from each other under the glowing lights of the ceremony.

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She stood waiting for him as she had promised, basking in the pale earthlight, when she heard him enter. The ballroom was empty –and if one glanced at the darkened room, it was impossible to make out two shadows willowing in front of the transparent door to the balcony. The diamond chandelier glistened across the room, glinting and mocking the two in the deathly darkness.

Serenity squinted at the tall figure standing before her. He was fully cloaked, almost menacing in his black attire. It was unusual that he would take such a drastic precaution for a simple walk back to her bedroom.

"Endymion?"

"Yes, darling. Put this on." Serenity cringed at the awkward endearment, wondering at his negligence of the familiar word 'Princess', and took the brown cloak that was handed to her.

"What's this for?" she asked.

"We aren't walking back to your bedroom." His voice sounded muffled under the hideous cloak, barely recognizable.

"I guessed as much. Then where are we going?"

"You'll see." He led her out of the ballroom and across the first corridor towards the main gate. The deathly aura of the night overcoming her, she leaned on his arm for support. Grotesquely, he shook her off him, mumbling something to himself. Serenity, startled, whimpered and moved a few feet away from him.

They were in the palace gardens, the earth waning in front of them, the trees as black as death and the normally vibrant, colorful flowers faded to shades of gray in the limited light. Shadows crept around them, calling, whispering in the darkness.

"You scared?"

Serenity paled and moved a few steps away from him. She knew that voice –she's heard it before. He laughed and moved in closer to her.

"You're not Endymion, are you?" she asked, trembling, unable to bear hearing the reply.

"Maybe not…" he drawled, throwing off his hood, the earthlight shining directly into his brilliant green pupils. He grinned at her, his orange hair ruffling in the harsh wind, a bolt of lightning splintering the eerie silence of the night.

"Weren't expecting me, were you?" Seran mocked, reaching into his pocket and recovering a bottle Serenity recognized as a type of sleeping draught her mother used frequently. She shrieked, her cries drowning in the thunder of the storm, and ran to the edge of the field, but tripped and sprawled head-first into the mud-splattered soil.

"You know, you're making this all too easy for me," he exclaimed, "Falling in love with a man working for Beryl…"

"I'm not in love with you!" she screeched.

"I meant Endymion."

"I'm not in love with him either! And he's not working for Beryl!"

"Well, how would you know, you innocent child? Beryl's already taken over the Earth! He really had no choice."

"I don't believe you," she replied, picking herself off the ground, her teeth clenching and her mud-splattered hands balling into fists.

"Believe what you want. All that matters it that you fell for my first-rate disguise. And now, you poor dear, you haven't even to capacity to flee."

"That's not my fault…" she muttered, but before she could realize what he was doing he had pried her mouth open and was pouring the bubbling, bitter liquid into her dirty mouth. Serenity winced and fell against him, her mind clouding and her eyes glazing over as the potion took its effect.

"Goodbye, darling!" Seran bellowed.

"Endymion…" she murmured before plunging headfirst into unconsciousness.

A/N:_ Please Review!_


	7. Chapter 6

Turning Back By Ummster

--Chapter 6

A/N: Umm… 

ok bear w/ me, cuz' this is a very depressing chapter. No happy stuff. None. Nada. Even more depressing than the last one. 

This is also kinda short… sry!

Yes I changed the format…

Disclaimer: same

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"So Endymion…" the woman drawled, the words rolling off her lips seductively, "Care join me for a little…afternoon snack?" She quirked an eyebrow, brushing away thick bushels of violet that had snaked out of their hold, and clambered out of her throne. She bent towards him. "In my opinion…you seem like you need it." Beryl placed an unbelievably long, steady finger on his chest, the curling, black fingernails massaging, or rather scraping his tender skin.

"You monster," he muttered, clenching his ocean-blue eyes in disgust as the bust of her low-cut, revealing dress entered his viewing range. Her eyes narrowed as she watched his obvious apathy.

"I'll get you for this!" Beryl screamed, a thin mist of saliva issuing from between the two parted lips onto Endymion's flinching face. He shuddered as she grabbed hold of his shirt and clutched it inches from her own face, sensing the scalding heat of her fury burning through the cool air. "You'll do what I want," she whispered, her steaming breath raising the hairs atop his forehead in violent shudders.

"And what's that?" he asked, pushing her wandering hands aside and stiffly turning around. Beryl's eyes wandered across his tempting, luxuriously shiny raven-black head and with a slight brush of her lips against his shoulder sent him jumping her way again.

"I want you to be my new co-ruler of the Negaverse." 

Endymion stilled, his expression curious and disgusted. "You know I'm only working for you to save my people," he began, still gaping, "because you threaten to demolish them if I turn against you."

"So you're saying…"

"I'd never accept such an atrocious offer."

Beryl's lips raised in a smirk. "I expected you to decline. But that's nothing we can't change…" She crossed her legs, letting her foot dangle against it. "After working a certain mission for me, I'm sure you've become accustomed with the ways of my rule."

"That damn mission hasn't even been completed yet!"

"You did discuss it, though, didn't you?" 

His shoulders loosened and he shrugged carelessly. "The Lunarians didn't seem too willing."

"But you did do-"

"I did what you wanted! Your disgraceful warriors would be marched on the moon, taking over the planet at this moment -without suspicion- if the Lunarians had acknowledged the phony excuse you made up: that it was a matter of secession between the Earth and the Moon. But they didn't." 

"It would have been so much easier," Beryl retorted, "if they couldn't detect our troops from afar." Endymion grinned.  
A smile alighted Beryl's features as she attempted to wrap her sly arms around his torso. "The good news is that the Lunarian princess is finally captured. It seems you yourself took part in it? I applaud you, Endy. You're finally turning around."

Endymion shuddered, willing himself not to think of the pitiful situation his Princess was facing. "It's not like I had a choice, you hypocrite," he spat, "Seran practically cornered me at that damn ball, saying that if I didn't get her alone afterwards you'd…you'd abuse my people again."

"You care too much for your people, Endy."

"Too much for my people! They already blame me for letting you onto our planet, totally unsuspecting that I was…how can I watch them die before my eyes, and because of me? I know the things you can do…" He sighed and slowly carried his feet to the closed glass door of the throne room. 

Beryl started. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To get some rest," he replied, half-closing his already heavy lids, "and try to wash out all memories of a certain princess." He left the enormity, leaving Beryl to figure out what he meant.

xxxxxxxxxx

Serenity glanced at the guards in a mixture of fear and annoyance, unable to understand why they hovered over her if she was already unbreakably chained to the cell. She cursed them silently; her eyes unexpectedly clear and dry. Mercifully, she had been unable to let out the drowning tears she'd come to expect from the simplest of predicaments. By far, this was her worst predicament yet...yet she mused that to some extent she had been expecting it. She thanked Selene she hadn't lost her head like the other mad and sullen prisoners in the chain of cells.

Oh, they were intolerable. She had been chained to the cell in the middle of all the others; which meant that she was constantly surrounded by rude people made crazy from permanent imprisonment. Goddess, she hoped she didn't stay here forever -it would be torturous to so long endure the unshaven, rogue faces and the inquiring eyes (not to mention dirty mouths) of her fellow inmates.

She guessed she'd been here, trapped in the cell, for about two days. It was unbearable to live without decent human company for that long. She missed her mother, as idiotic as it might have sounded -her mother, with her reprimandance, her encouraging…but most of all her knowledge. It was frustrating how all her previous training became irrelevant when it actually mattered –for some reason she had been unable to teleport, or at least slip out of the barring chains through magic. Possibly, too much was on her mind for her to concentrate, or more likely her abilities didn't extend to escaping from secure jail cells.

Without doubt, Serenity wouldn't have minded Endymion being here. Well…maybe she wished for it. She still couldn't bring herself to believe that Endymion worked for Beryl…it was true that he had been unwilling to help her personally, but he had given her hints and indeed, it had been he who had suggested for her to stay on her guard, as Seran was looking to kidnap her. Oh, she missed his warming lips, firm hands, and enrapturing eyes…those ocean-blue, crystal eyes, dancing with amusement…she could drown in them forever. 

Serenity sighed and accidentally flung her hand against the hard wall, wincing as the cracks grazed the side of her arm. 

"Hey, doll-face!"

Serenity whipped herself around and discovered a middle-aged man, tarred and battered, staring at her delightedly from the cell in front of her.

"Why don't you come amuse us?" he spat, laughter bellowing from the prisoners surrounding him.

Sighing, she turned away and buried her head in her arms.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Excuse me?"

In disarray, she made out the vague image of a lean man peering into her cell. Groaning in disgust, she settled back into a state of earnest dozing. Her fellow prisoners were purely disgusting. They seemed entranced by her –surely they had seen decent-looking women before? She shook her head sadly and whimpered in her unpleasant dream.

"Queen Beryl wishes to speak to you in private."

She looked again at the pale figure unbolting the cell hinges. Blonde bangs shadowed a petite forehead, atop hazel eyes, clearly dulled by age and weariness. His hand rested on what was clearly a deep red scar on his right cheek. As he led her up the cells leading out of the prison, he watched her surreptitiously in backward glances, averting his eyes every once in a while.

"Is something the matter, Jedeite?" Serenity asked politely, still envisioning the vultures swooping down on the poor servant.

"Nothing." His brows creased as he looked at her slyly. "How did you know my name was Jedeite?" He stopped and held her back with surprising strength for a man of his ill complexion.

"I –I just guessed," she stuttered.

"Right," Jedeite said sarcastically, "but it doesn't matter either way." They continued down the hall in silence, neither talking.

There was something odd about the man. He seemed familiar and distant at the same time –and Serenity was sure it hadn't come from her dreams. His pale complexion, startlingly soft blue eyes, and blonde, seeping bangs…they combined to create something awkward yet handsome. It was true -he might have been handsome had it not been for the demeaning way he carried himself and the fearful, darting look always evident in his eyes. She didn't reflect on it long; she had other things to reflect on –perhaps her life?

"Step right this way." 

Serenity lifted her feet hurriedly into the still room and glanced around fearfully. It was mundane except for two magnificent plush thrones, sparkling gold in the center of the room. A few feet in front of the thrones stood a slick iron stool, chains and corresponding hand-cuffs bolted to the handles. The chains snaked around the edges of the room, finally linking into the handle of the rightmost throne chair. The contrast was awkward –a barren, dusty black room, decorated with a few marvelous structures. There was a menacing aura about the room, the same aura she had sensed from her dreams and from Seran. 

Without a word, Jedeite forced her into the restricted seat, buckling the clamps tightly around her wrist and ankles. Her mind racing, she found that all she could maneuver was her neck; and that the rest of her body was pressed against the cold stool most uncomfortably. She shuddered, the freezing metal overcoming her. 

Suddenly, she realized that in the moment of agony she had forgotten her dying prayers. What if she didn't go to heaven? Oh, Selene, please spare her on that. Quickly, she reflected over all the terrible things she had done in her sixteen years of life…half-cheated on her fiancé, questioned her mother's judgment and loyalty…the list was endless. Hopelessly, she clenched her eyes, fearing she would be transported to hell.

Instead, a voice rang out in the distance, a voice she knew but was truly hearing for the first time:

"It's about time you arrived, Serenity." She looked up tentatively to find herself falling into violet-red eyes…

Was this hell?

The monster laughed, reading her thoughts. "It's not hell. But it's as close as you'll ever get, you weakling." Serenity winced at the outburst and squirmed as the chains locked tighter around her wrist, Jedeite watching her with alarm in the hidden shadows of the room.

"Watch closely, moon princess," Beryl continued, smirking, "I brought you a treat. It's not what you're expecting, of course. But satisfying, none the less. At least for me." She cackled again, her eyes tearing from the belching force of the laugh.

Beryl closed her eyes, concentrating her energy on the distance. "Come to me, rightful King of the Negaverse!" 

The girl watched with amazement as a blurry figure dissolved into the throne vacant next to Beryl. She gasped as she made out the face of the newcomer. Because she recognized it. The devilishly handsome features, the black, glossy hair, the midnight blue orbs…

"You?" She cried, startled, as Endymion looked around himself, jumping at the sight of the princess. "You! You the king of the Negaverse? So Seran was right!"

He looked angrily at Beryl, his teeth gritting, trying to vent his fury. "How dare you!" he yelled at her, "You said you'd make someone else do it! You said I didn't have anything more to do! And hell, I never agreed to be co-ruler of the Negaverse!"

"Oh, come on, Endy," she said, laughing, "It was too much of an opportunity to miss. Now please, we have to deal with her. Endymion."

He shook his head like a little boy, folding his arms together and turning his head up in haughty disagreement.

Beryl sighed. "Well, fine, then. But all you're doing is postponing the inevitable." She snuck out of her chair and leaned on Serenity's shoulder. The tips of her fingernails dug into the bare skin, tinglings of pain shooting down Serenity's spine.

"We aren't going to harm you, Serenity -just contort you in every possible way!" Serenity slumped in the chair, refusing to look into Beryl's hypnotizing eyes.

"Look at me!"

"I refuse."

"Don't talk back to me, you worthless little girl!" she bellowed, power surging from her outstretched hands. Pain lashing at her as Serenity yelped, her back twisting against the back of the stool.

Suddenly in a stroke of bravery she looked at the devil with a hardcore tenacity she didn't know she had. "You're a coward," she said simply, her eyes creasing and the crescent moon atop her forehead glowing in indignation.

Beryl glanced at it nervously, beckoning Jedeite out of his corner to take a look at the symbol. Tentatively, he rubbed a finger gently across the gold-plated crescent. Serenity trembled as a feeble vibration passed through her flesh, waiting for something to happen. Her mother had once told her that if anyone were to touch her divine marking against her will, she would be protected by a sudden shock of energy. Nothing happened.

"It only means more energy, your majesty," Jedeite sad quietly, looking down at the girl with interest. Smirking, Beryl walked back to her throne.

"Seems like the girl has a lot of energy, eh Endymion?" He said nothing, only looked away. Beryl again glanced her way, lips curling downwards impatiently. "So where's that crystal you always carry with you? The Imperium Silver Crystal? Hand it over, girl." 

Serenity smiled brightly, grateful for the hidden pocket in her dress she had used to conceal the prized item. "I don't have it."

"You do," the monster repeated. Endymion winced, letting his hair fall over his eyes, now a mysterious shade of dark blue.

"I don't. I took it off before my ball."

"Did she? If she did there's no use checking," Beryl asked, directing the question towards Endymion, "You were with her before the ball, weren't you?"

"I was," Endymion answered firmly, "and she wasn't wearing it."

Beryl growled under her breath, tossing her purple hair in agitation. "That's one energy source lost. The only other option is draining her own energy…" She stopped and twisted the chain attached to the handle of her chair. Serenity screamed, the tears that had earlier refused to trail down her face bursting out in uncontrolled sobs.

"Oh, I was just warming up," Beryl seethed, "In fact, I think I'll have Endymion do the honors."

He was silent before he burst out, "It would be so much more satisfying to yourself if you did it."

She laughed. "You're wrong." Her glare turned deadly. "I want to see you, personally, destroy the girl you're so infatuated with." 

She knew! Damnit, she'd known all this time! Endymion sat rooted to his seat, staring at Beryl in amazement. 

"Don't think I haven't noticed, Endy. Seran told me all about your little affair." She turned her gaze to the girl straddled to the seat in front of her. "So this is the girl stealing my Endy away from me," she mused, "I thought you'd have better judgment, Endymion. She's a petty weakling, nothing beyond a pretty face." Beryl's cheeks reddened as she cupped her own face in her hands lovingly. "Don't you see what you're missing?" 

Still amazed, Endymion turned his gaze away from the venting face of his companion and ventured to steal a glance at Serenity. Her mouth hung open, her sky-blue eyes widened above possibility. He could see her slightly blushing at Beryl's remarks. She was being modest, he thought with amusement. Just the time to lose your ego. 

He lost his attention as Beryl snapped her fingers roughly. "Come now. I want to hear one of your endearing conversations."

Serenity didn't hesitate to begin. "You bastard! And all this time you were working for Beryl." She silently reprimanded herself for her colorful language, but dismissed it tiredly after a few moments reflection.

He started uneasily. "It's not what you think…"

"What do you mean it's not what I think? Then what is it?"

"I meant that I didn't do it because-"

"Did you or did you not come to our planet for the sake of some stupid Negaverse mission? And to think, I trusted you enough to reveal my personal dreams to you?"

"Do you want me to be honest?" he questioned nervously.

"You -you'd have the dignity to lie to me?" Serenity stuttered, chocking on her tears.

Endymion sighed. "Fine. The mission was to allow Beryl's warriors on the Moon Kingdom disguised as Earth soldiers."

"So the whole fiasco at the meeting was a total lie?"

"Yes." Serenity shuddered, the tears blurring her vision. 

"How could you be so benighted!" she yelled, disgusted at the feeble expression on his normally handsome countenance, and the pitiful state he had been reduced to. He had long since crept out of the sanction of the throne, and was kneeling before her, his head bent humbly, silently begging forgiveness. If it had been any other time she would have complimented him on his lack of ego –the same ego that his mother had once asked her to monitor. Yet all she now saw was a hideous mass of black and white.

"I suppose next you're going to say that you kissed me only to trap me with Seran!" Beryl's eyes bulged in the background.

"No," he moaned, his head in her lap, "No. Don't blow this out of proportion. Please. I had certain emotions."

"Certain emotions?" She repeated, her tone softening as she took another look at the man she had been so quick to accuse.

"Yes," he repeated, "I liked you."

"You liked me," she whispered, uncertain of what she was hearing. He touched her hand lightly, rubbing the itching skin where the chains nettled her flesh. Suddenly she screamed and he retreated his arm in one swift movement, looking up at her, concern and endearment written in his eyes.

"I see now!" she yelled, blonde meandering strands plastering over her eyelids, "You're trying to take advantage of me again! You traitor! And to think I almost let you for the second time!"

Before Endymion could respond Beryl sent another searing lash her way, laughing hysterically. "You two are…pathetic!" Endymion retreated back to his seat next to Beryl, cursing his bad luck.

Beryl's smirk widened as a shadow in the far corner of the room shuffled across the hard metal floor.

"Jedeite."

He bowed, his hands clasped. "Yes, your majesty?"

"Don't you think it would be amusing for Serenity to meet her long-lost father?"

He gulped, his throat drying. "Whatever you say, your majesty."

"Wait," Serenity intervened, thoroughly confused. "You mean to say my father's still alive?"

"Of course," Beryl screeched, laughing.

"Then he's here." She blanked at the thought of her noble father seeing her in her present condition, fruitlessly attempting to smooth her sweat-stained dress and matted golden locks.

"Yes, he's here. Right now." Beryl paused, directing her glance towards a certain slumped man in her presence. 

"And he's standing right in front of you!"

A/N: Review!

I don't really know how she's going to escape yet…obviously she is going to…so that'll take awhile. Which probably means there won't be another update soon. ( 


	8. Chapter 7

**Turning Back**

**--Chapter 7**

**A/N:** For some reason all the italics I put in the last chapter didn't come out on the site…and so it must have sounded kind of weird because some of the sentences were thoughts, and they were supposed to be in italics. So, sorry about that.

Anyways, this chapter and the last chapter have been particularly hard for me to write, cuz' I need it to seem dramatic and sad…when I read it over it was just blah and not sad at all. And anyways I've had writer's block for the past month…Ugh!

I was also trying to give you hints on who her father was…I think some of you already figured it out, cuz' I kind of gave it away in chapter 3 or 4. But if you didn't I guess the cliffhanger was _extremely _annoying! Lol.

I also realized that I've been spelling Jadeite's name wrong all this time. Woops…

Just a warning, whenever I use "Rena", I'm referring to Serenity's mother. That was Jadeite's nickname for her. Serenity's nickname is "Sere" or "Renity".

Hope you like this chapter! It's not all optimistic, but I guess it gets better.

**Disclaimer:** If only sailor moon belonged to me… ()

_**Review!** Even though I'm a fist time fan fiction writer, criticism IS accepted._

**From the Last Chapter:**

"_Wait," Serenity intervened, thoroughly confused. "You mean to say my father's still alive?"_

"_Of course," Beryl screeched, laughing._

"_Then he's here." She blanked at the thought of her noble father seeing her in her present condition, fruitlessly attempting to smooth her sweat-stained dress and matted golden locks._

"_Yes, he's here. Right now." Beryl paused, directing her glance towards a certain slumped man in her presence. _

"_And he's standing right in front of you!"_

"He's WHAT?"

Beryl's lips raised mockingly in a smirk as she allowed the girl in front of her to look anxiously around herself for the next few seconds. The grin heightened as she watched Serenity's crystal blue eyes again turn to her in confusion. It was hard to believe that she had once considered the frightened weakling in front of her _competition_.

"Look more closely, girl."

Again, she twisted her head around the back of her chair, trying to find a hidden shadow lurking in the corners of the deathly black throne-room. Unable to find one, she sighed, fisting her restricted hands as best she could and allowing the holds on the buns of her still golden hair to slip. The curling wisps cascaded swiftly down the iron chair that was covering her back cruelly.

"Stop it," she said hoarsely, choking on her anger, her chest painfully heaving against the cords that strapped around them. She reflected on how demoralizing they were –mocking her dignity as a woman. "You're lying."

"Well, well, well…who's impatient now?"

Serenity cringed. "Just get on with whatever torture you have in store for me. I want to get this over with."

"I wasn't lying."

Serenity didn't reply, only bowed her head in anticipation, waiting for the pain to come, to lash out at her and cripple her soul as she'd seen it done all too many times in her horrific dreams. Instead she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder.

"She's telling the truth, Serenity." The girl unclenched her eyes and looked unbelievingly at the blonde, fear-struck man who now stood boldly by her side. His eyes dropped hurriedly across her figure before locking into hers; she saw the tenderness, the sympathy…the weariness reflected in his wavering, pale blue eyes…

…and suddenly she knew. It had been him all along. The man her mother murmured about in her sleep –the father she had spent long nights dreaming of beside the tranquility of her waterfall.

It was all him.

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"_Serenity…"_

She moaned and squirmed uncomfortably, a cool hand gently brushing the wisps of bangs off her forehead. She turned on her back again, trying to escape from the blinding light sifting past her tightly clenched eyelids. Voices murmured incoherent phrases in the background, soft and soothing nonetheless.

"Where am I?" she asked sullenly, grabbing hold of the clammy hand secured to forehead.

A sigh was heard in the distance. "I'm not sure where one's mind takes them while in unconsciousness." The hand moved from her forehead to her arm, gently squeezing her awake. Her eyes opened slowly, wide and entranced, looking out at a sea of pink blossoms, swaying softly in the gentle zephyr. She looked around herself, trying to find the person whose hold was clasping her arm, yet only heard a distinct, caressing voice:

"_Take your time with this. It'll take some getting used to."_

"Oh, sure. Of course it will," she whispered lazily, wobbling towards a familiar foaming waterfall near her. She bent over it, admiring her clear reflection in the landscape. Scooping up a handful of water, she brought it to her expectant face. Yet instead of feeling a refreshing splash of water soak into her rosy skin, she felt a sharp, stinging slap across her cheek. For a brief second, she saw two men hovering over her, and next she had fallen against the ground –and it wasn't the soft, welcoming grass she expected, either –she fell with a thud onto the cracked ground below her.

"_Oh, dear. Now look what you did."_

Again, she opened her eyes, taking in the dissatisfying appearance of her jail cell, with the addition of two other men. Endymion stood looking inquiringly at Jadeite, who was crouched over her, his rough hand still firmly planted on her right cheek.

"What was that for?" she asked suddenly, her temper flaring and her voice rising.

"We had to wake you up," Jadeite answered hurriedly, taking her face into her own and peering into her eyes before setting it down again against the wall. "After all, that darn magic can last for centuries if no one brings you out of it."

"Magic?"

"Yes, magic. Endymion here seems to know a lot about it." The man in mention was still sulking around the entrance. It wasn't that she cared –she hardly wanted to talk to him. And all the while, he seemed to know this. He silently acknowledged her presence with his darting eyes and quickly turned away from her.

She didn't reply, only stared up at the pale, lean man for what had to have been the billionth time that day. He met her eyes and took her hand.

"You can't believe it, can you? That I'm your father."

She sighed. "No disrespect intended, but…" Serenity turned his hand over, suddenly finding his palm more interesting than his face. "…I never really gave a thought that my father would be such a…such a…"

"Coward?" he piped helpfully. She nodded and flushed.

"From what my mother used to tell me, you were quite the gallant soldier."

"Rena…" he murmured, his eyes clouding over. "Your mother's right. That's what I was before you were born. If you're willing to listen…"

"Of course." She rested her head on his lap affectionately, nodding her head in approval.

He stroked his chin in remembrance, finally looking down at her again. "It's a long story…"

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(A/N: this isn't a flashback. It's written as he tells it to Serenity. If the italics don't work then…oh well.)

_It was at the peak of the Silver Millennium. Beryl had been vanquished decades ago by the first in the Serenity line, and all was at peace. No bond could be greater than that of the Earth the Moon –the two opposites- your mother and the Queen of Earth, Tara, together since birth, were young and inseparable. The Selene Alliance was at rest –in fact, there was almost nothing for your mother and the rest of the council to do besides organize festivities and grand occasions to celebrate the tranquility. _

_I was a young prince from Mercury when I was first introduced your mother. Even then, she was always the serious, dedicated one. Me? Carefree and clumsy. It took time to win her affection. Her mother had organized a ball to meet suitors –and I was one of them. I'd known I'd wanted her the moment I first set eyes on her; as with all the other men who sought her hand. It was only a matter of how I was going to get her that troubled me. You see, I was much the klutz. I was never very good at ballroom dancing and other things of that sort. She, on the other hand, was fabulous. Ah, what a beautiful dancer she was! And how graceful!_

_The first time I waltzed with her I tripped over her dress –you know how those things can be –long and billowing. Like the proper princess, she remained polite and helped me off the ground, attracting the attention of all the dignitaries who had attended. I must say, I was quite flustered. I could tell beyond that lovely smile of hers, she was quite amused. I resolved to make it up to her by being extra-gentlemanly._

_I requested her company at the royal dinner. She couldn't refuse. At the dinner nothing much happened –after all, her relatives were watching our every move quite slyly –my intentions must have been blatantly obvious. But after the dinner:_

_"Care join me for a walk around the gardens, milady?"_

_She blushed and took my hand. "Of course, Prince Jadeite." As I led her around the beautiful array of mystical flowers, we began talking._

_She stopped at a beautiful crimson flower by her side. "It's a hyacinth," she murmured in awe, plucking the lily-shaped flower and deeply inhaling its sweet scent. _(A/N: That's from Mythology).

_"Yes it is," I whispered, "Quite rare, aren't they?" _

_"Yes. But interestingly, very common on the moon." _

_Quickly, I expressed my agreement. "Nothing is rare on the moon…" She looked up quickly and I had a clear view of her crystalline eyes. My own couldn't help wandering over her beautiful figure. I'm pleased to say that apart from minor details in your own face, the two of you are almost identical. _At this Serenity interrupted that she was a bit shorter than and not at all as intelligent as her mother. Jadeite only smiled.

_"…Nothing is rare, not even fair, irresistible ladies." I smiled down at her, watching her face turn pink and her body turn away slightly._

_"I hope you're not talking about…"_

_"Yes, Rena. I AM talking about you." I pulled her towards me and bent down on one knee. "Please," I drawled, letting her beauty overcome my words, "would you be so humble as to marry me?"_

_Instantly she beamed down at me and the words she uttered next had me kissing her dainty hands in relief. She teasingly slapped my hands away with a smile and kissed me softly on the cheek before blushing again and scampering back into the palace with her books and her maidens._

_A few weeks later we were married pompously and sent on a delightful honeymoon, touring the Universe. Little did we know that our happiness would only lead to devastation._

_The Earth was declaring war on the Alliance. It was uncalled for –unheard of. Insane. No one could believe that the Terrans wished secede, after all the peace and promises of everlasting tranquility. But they did. Though no one knew it, it must have been Beryl. That's what I presume. It was probably her first attempt at regaining the Universe._

_I was one of the first to volunteer for war, honeymoon forgotten, and Rena was kind enough to back me up in my standings –even as an expectant mother. I ceased to realize how hard it must have been for her I was a warrior, after all –it was my duty. It was my way of proving to Rena and this new planet my worth and my commitment to them. You see, I still felt she didn't look up to me with what I wanted her to. Superiority? I wasn't sure. _

_Either way, I was out on the battlefield, fighting for my life. They were getting a lead on us –they were Beryl's warriors, no doubt. Our only hope was the Silver Imperium Crystal of Rena's mother. I was captured and deployed to Earth, put under their power, with little hope left. Yet I was undoubtedly wrong. I had no idea of the power this tiny, sparkling gem could wield. Your grandmother succeeded in banishing the Negaverse again out of our Universe, and once again peace ensued. _

_Only this time, the Earth was left out on it. After losing the war they were forced to be part of the Alliance, and yet, somehow they were independent. Beryl must have brainwashed them well, and even after she was forced to leave, it stuck with them. They wanted nothing to do with Lunarians, or any other race but theirs. And under them, I was considered an outcast –a foreigner, perhaps even a spy- and sent to the royal court as a servant. This was where I first met Endymion. _

_He was a young prince, a little boy of five years, curious and eager to learn. Thinking of my own child, I became attached to him, and he was put under my care for his first few years of training as a martial warrior. After that he was taken away by his father for more intensive training. I didn't see him afterwards until he succeeded the throne of his father. He had changed. He was now a handsome grown man and not realizing this I followed him around and tried to make him remember me. He said nothing, did nothing –he must have forgotten. Instead he made me his advisor along with some others in his court: Kunzite, Nephrite, Zoicite and Malachite. _

_There I stayed for a few years, consented, hardly reflecting on the life I had lost. I would have stayed there forever –I was Endymion's companion and friend as well- had he not accidentally invited Beryl onto the Earth. It seems there was some remaining portal there. Endymion ordered it to be sealed –as to not let any dangerous monsters from the Negaverse in. Using the magic of his Golden Crystal, he would be able to maneuver the portal. But before he closed it he wanted to open it up one last time to finally see where it led to. It was foolish of him –and foolish on our parts for accepting. Yet he was only an amateur, he had no idea of the extent of the powers of the Negaverse. He had been born a few years before the war ended and had no memory of that unconquerable power._

_As soon as he had opened it we knew there had been some mistake. It kept growing bigger and bigger, until it occupied half the landscape. And striding in came Beryl, in all her glory and seduction. There was nothing more we could do. I was lucky to have been saved and taken as a servant for her –and this time it wasn't at all pleasurable. The royal family, too, was lucky. The only reason she let them survive was because she had a particular interest in Endymion, though he despised her. _

_Endymion took everything very harshly –for some time he locked himself in his chambers and refused to let himself out. He had very much matured and had realized his great folly –and he wasn't ready to let it go yet. After much persuasion and threatening on Beryl's side, he joined her, but only because of his excessive disappointment of himself and love for his people. You see, that was one of the threats. All Terrans were to be held hostage and if he refused her they would be killed. He saw no other choice._

_And there we were. Weak, separated, and devoid of hope…_

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A/N: Well…I hope the mini-story thing isn't too cheesy and confusing. I didn't want to write a whole new story…that would just be really boring. It's basically the same. So I didn't elaborate that much. I think it's the whole writer's block thing. Tell me what you think of that part.

Oh, and yes, Rena's love story…it's cheesy to me too. But I think there it's appropriate cheesiness.

Yes, and If you've gotten this far, PLEASE REVIEW! I take critique.


	9. Chapter 8

**Turning Back**

_**By Ummster**_

**Chapter 8**

_A/N:_ Well, well…sorry about the late update. And I mean LATE! School was starting, and for some reason I just wasn't in the mood to write. You know how that happens sometimes. I was actually done a long time ago but couldn't go on the internet due to overly strict parents. Yes and…this is CLEARLY reflected in my writing. I was thirsty for humor. Sorry…this is supposed to be serious. But I couldn't help it! I was so tired!

This chapter might be a little disappointing I guess…well I don't like it at least. It's basically filler. She knows everything, la-di-da, she has to escape. Yep. This was a really boring chapter in my opinion. Fluff. Icing, if you rather. At least, that's what it was supposed to be. I just started typing, and somehow the weird ending just came. It wasn't supposed to. Well, all for the better. (Read and then ask).

I'm in a very sarcastic mood right now. Need rest. AAARRGGH!

Reviewing would help! (J/K)

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story! You guys are so nice.

_Disclaimer_ What! What do you mean I can't own Sailor Moon because I bribe my reviewers? (eh…what can I say…as I said I'm in a bleary mood).

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"What is this?" Serenity asked, carefully fingering the half-gold, half-white strands of sparkling hair that twisted around her flushed face.

Endymion leaned casually against the iron cell wall and watched closely as another handful of bedazzling blonde strands softened to a snowy white. He ran a tentative hand through the silk, finding it pillow-soft and unknotted. "Maybe it's something to do with you maturing."

"I'm turning into my mother."

He laughed. "I trust by your expression that's a negative?" She frowned, puckering up her face and looking at him seriously –yet on viewing the bemused expression on his boyish face, she broke into a smile.

"Really, what do you have against my mother?" Her light blue eyes danced amusedly.

He raised his hands defensively, stomach shaking uncontrollably from shudders of silent laughter. "I doubt," he began, pausing to take a haggard breath, "I doubt her hair even nears the breathtaking..._loveliness_ of yours." Biting his cheek, Endymion closed his eyes for a second, fanning himself with his cape, before turning bright red and burying his face in her lap.

She giggled –it tickled- his face was moving ever so slightly. Reaching down, she grabbed a fistful of his raven-black hair and yanked it up to her face. Before Serenity could remark, he broke into peels of laughter, thrusting his head back for a hungrier, more open laugh. Salty tears rambled down his cheeks and nose, leaving slight pink marks in their paths, as he ventured to look up at her again.

"Oh god," he chocked, a hand pressed firmly against his heart, "I'm sorry Ser- Sere- Serenity, but…you look…you look…" He released his hand lazily, his chest shuddering and fell to the ground, holding himself to stop himself from a fit of hysteria.

Serenity looked down at him warily. "You _idiot_!" she squealed, slapping him hard below his knee. "I'm not the one who should be complaining…Mr. I-refuse-to-cut-my-hair!"

He looked at her curiously. "Princess…I'm in a jail cell. I don't exactly have access to proper barber supplies."

"Well, at least you could use some of that magic you always have up your sleeve."

Serenity poked at a stubble on his chin, smirking. It was unusual seeing the normally clean-cut, gentlemanly figure suddenly so overly unkempt. Long, straying strands of black had wandered across the edge of his nose, parting in slits to give a subtle impression of his midnight blue eyes waning from behind his dark bangs. The blue interrogated her, looking her down in a way that made her blush and then returning to her face.

"I don't understand."

"Oh, Endymion…I've seen you teleport and cure a sprained ankle before my very eyes. Surely you have the power to trim a few measly snips of hair?"

Endymion shrugged, the black seeping parts rippling at the bottom of his neck. "I've never really tried before."

"Well, you should try. If something goes horribly wrong, you'll have the solace of knowing no one was watching –no one except me, at least."

"You know what?" he murmured lightly, "I think I rather like myself this way. I fell less prince-like and more like a normal person. As normal as a person can be trapped by a monster who thinks she's in love with them."

"I hope you're not talking about me, because I can tell you right now that I am NOT as much-"

He interrupted her grotesquely, the teasing grin tied to his face painfully familiar. "Calm down, Princess. I was referring to Beryl."

Embarrassed and blushing profoundly, her features softened as she glanced down at him again. "Do I really look that much like my mother?"

"Not your mother," he stuttered, still chortling on the floor, "…My great-grandmother! And believe me! You don't know what Terran great-grandmother's look like until you've seen mine!"

With that, they both burst into a friendly concoction of yells, giggles, snorts (_A/N: _Hadeeth!), and more wheezing laughter.

And yet, neither one noticed the subtle, peculiar flash of light being emitted by the crystal stored safely in Serenity's pocket.

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"Ahem."

Serenity blinked drowsily up at the sputtering man through blonde and silver strands, her normally clear blue orbs hazy and unfocused.

"Go 'way," she muttered drunkenly before again nestling her head on the padded shoulder of her companion.

"Serenity, dear," he repeated, crouching down to have a good look at her. Serenity moaned and twisted against the hard chest she was pressed against, pushing the man's hands away.

"Mother," She murmured. The man flushed, his pale cheeks turning a vibrant, tomato red, contrasting with the withering bleach-blonde bangs set atop a low forehead.

"SERENITY!"

She darted awake, jumping to her feet with a frightful glance at the blonde.

"Jedeite?"

"Mmm," he murmured, a slight smile teasing his thin, parched lips. "I don't think you exactly realize your predicament, Sere."

Serenity looked around hurriedly, glancing back up at Jedeite. "I –I don't understand." He grinned again and pointed behind her, at the dark-haired, soundly snoring figure slumped in the shadows of the jail cell.

"Wha –What?" she stuttered, blinking down at Endymion in disbelief as his snoring softened to a breathy murmur. As she whimpered, his startlingly clear, mischievous ocean-blue eyes flew open and settled on Serenity, locking with her confused, pale ones. Suddenly he yelped awake, howling like a mad man, and leapt in rage towards the blonde-haired man.

"What the hell do you think you're-" he blinked and sifted a roughish hand through his silky black hair bashfully. "Oh. Hello Jedeite."

"Endymion?" Jedeite asked, faking surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"I…" he paused, searching for an appropriate excuse. "We kind of…umm…" He watched as the lean man pulled his parched cloak around him, eyes dancing with amusement. "Hey! You're playing with me!" He grinned and nodded to Serenity. "Princess."

"Ah, but the two of you don't need an introduction, I presume. After all, she was sleeping one you…rather comfortably if I may say so myself…"

"JEDEITE!" Endymion glared daggers at him as Serenity's cheeks turn a hue of pink and she cowered into the shadows. She glanced stealthily at Endymion, who stared at her quite obviously with another sheepish, goofy grin on his face.

"Sorry about that," he retorted, folding his hands carelessly across his chest, "We were just tired. I'll say –warm young women make much better comforters than solid walls of iron." Jedeite chuckled as Serenity swallowed the urge to curse violently at the crude remark. Or better yet, slap him stringently across his bare cheeks.

"And to think that a few hours ago the two of you were fighting like a pair of locked up hunger-stricken hyenas."

Serenity stared up at him blankly. "Hyenas? What's that?"

Endymion looked at her curiously. "Oh, right. You wouldn't know such an Earth-bound term as that." Then he laughed. "And all for the better, eh Jedeite?"

She flicked her silver hair over her shoulder hotly. "Ex-CUSE me! I'm sure 'hyena' is a perfectly reasonable, pleasant word. Right Jedeite?" Giggling, she batted her eyelashes sarcastically, only to hear a distinguished snort (_A/N_: again, Hadeeth!) resonate through the amused silence. Serenity turned her flushed head up to find the one-and-only despised narcissistic face grinning down at her.

"I doubt it. Just keeping your hopes up, aren't you?" She groaned and clenched her slender fingers tightly, bracing herself for another ego-splattering remark.

Instead she heard a gentle voice crooning into her ear and a slight touch on her shoulder. "You know I'm joking, right?"

She shivered as a flurry of embarrassing emotions rose in her chest like burning steam, spiraling and slithering across her body. His hot breath tickled her ear innately –he was so close. In perfected measures of seduction, his lips gently brushed her forehead as he caressed her hand in his ever so lightly. Trails of minute, perfectly crafted Goosebumps followed his light fingers across her flushed skin, leaving a swirl of smooth bumps across her palm. Unable to open her clenched mouth, or look away from his hypnotizing, enticing dark eyes, she squeaked a hardly audible, "I know. And it's ok." She swallowed. "Really, thank you. I doubt I'm supposed to be enjoying myself in a jail cell."

Jedeite coughed. "Really! I'm not used to you two being so un-quarrelsome. It's amazing what one measly story can do."

"You mean one truthful story," interrupted Serenity, suddenly regaining her composure and nodding in agreement, "If it hadn't been for you, Jedeite, I would still despise him and we wouldn't be the friends we are now."

"Seems like something more to me."

"JEDEITE!"

"Right, right," he murmured breathily, shaking his head to himself, "Just friends. Just friends."

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"Endymion…" she hissed, her tongue slithering uncontrollably in and out of her crimson, blood-stained lips, "Have you considered my options?"

"Yes," he sighed, his head drooping, allowing his bangs to sweep across his forehead. "And yet I still cannot consent to ruling the Dark Kingdom with you."

"Oh? And why not?"

"I want nothing to do with you, and you know that quite clearly, Beryl." Endymion snarled and looked up at her, his teeth grinding uncomfortably.

"I do know." Beryl grinned down at him, her eyes glinting maliciously. "I also know how much certain things mean to you."

"Don't you dare bring my people into this. The deal was that I work under you, not with you."

The monster grinned wider, her pearly-white teeth shining sublimely against the innate darkness of the chamber room. "Not your people, Endy," she bellowed, "Your love!" She laughed, flames of spit tossing carelessly around her. "The love of your life!"

"And who might that be?" he asked, genuinely perplexed, yet fearing the answer all the more.

"Oh Endy, you know all too well," Beryl rasped, "I know all about those little escapades you and Jedeite have been running to meet with that bratty moon princess in her cell. Jedeite has a fathomable reason for this –she is his daughter- and yet you –you still go even when you have no personal connection with her."

"So what if I told you I cared for her the slightest bit?"

Beryl's crystalline, violet eyes wavered in mid air as her stolid expression fell –she seemed uncertain. Her mouth, slightly open, gaped back at him in astonishment. Suddenly she thrust her preciously decked cane near his feet and glared at him in anger.

"Mark my words, you'll pay for this. You'll pay, alright."

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It was around midnight when Serenity first heard the hurried whispering voices outside her cell.

She'd been lounging, homesick and unable to fall asleep, thinking about life back on the moon. How selfish she had been! To be unsatisfied with that life…she groaned as she realized that at this time she would have been sound asleep in her plush, pillow-soft bed, safely tucked under endless layers of royal white fluff.

_Why her?_

It was a demand rather than a question, and demand that would never be heard, never be answered. Sighing again in defeat, Serenity sprawled lazily across the floor, searching for a comfortable position on the barren floor.

Suddenly she heard it.

"…_you will."_ It was like the rustling of a leaf on a lone tree. Far-off and unnoticed.

_"…never…I can't…"_

_And I can't fall asleep, _she thought wearily. _If you don't mind, I'm a prisoner and have other things to think about than my sudden hallucinations of distant voices._

"…_but you will…you care too much…princess…"_ She squirmed uncomfortably, suddenly wondering if she was the only princess in this dungeon.

"…_too well! So…condition…how dare you…kill…"_ Her ears perked up at those words, and suddenly she was crammed against the entrance to the cell, her ears pressed against the cold iron metal, trying to make out the jumble of words being thrown at her.

"_My dear Endy…let her die…people?"_ My Dear Endy? What did that mean? Was he outside her cell? Serenity was suddenly compelled to holler for help, yet resisted the urge on thinking twice.

"_Damn…puppet…" _

"_Give in…doesn't escape…foul face…Go!"_

And suddenly the voices were gone, gone as soon as they had come, and Serenity was left in the solitary silence of her cell and the deathly stillness of the black of night. Warily, she lay on her back, staring blankly up at her ceiling, and folding her palms together. She closed her eyes tentatively.

Instantly, with a jolt, she found herself standing erect. She blinked. There, in front of her, was the Silver Imperium Crystal, glowing beyond words, levitating in mid-air, it rays bursting into her face. A wave of unknown power knocked her hard against the wall, and suddenly she was slumped against herself, unconscious except for the suddenly clear voices playing into her ear.

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"_You will." The monster shifted uneasily in her throne, gazing at the young man in a practiced mixture of desire and scorn._

_Endymion laughed. "Never in my life have I heard anything so absurd, Beryl. I won't."_

"_Oh, but Endy, you will. You care too much about your precious princess to let her die at my hands."_

_His eyes shot up quickly, narrowing slightly as he read the smug expression on Beryl's ravenous face. "You know me too well! So is that your condition this time? How dare you…and you would never kill her. You need her energy."_

_She smiled cruelly. "Ah, Endymion, you forget that before killing I can steal all her precious frightened energy. Really, it makes no difference to me if she's dead or alive. I just want to see you do it."_

"_You devil!" His head shot up as he uttered those words, his tongue whipping furiously around his mouth to keep from bursting something even more obscene._

"_My dear Endy, are you that ready to let her die? What would your people say?"_

"_Damn!" He slammed a fist against the table, his glass, half-full goblet splattering with a distinct crash against the hard, tiled floor. He sighed, brushing off shards of clear glass intermingling with his raven black hair. "I'm a blasted puppet at your command!"_

_"There, there Endy. I knew you'd give in. Now, make sure she doesn't escape. Or this is the last you'll ever see her foul face...now Go!"_

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She opened her eyes slowly, growing accustomed to the intimidating darkness. Pursing her lips, Serenity pushed herself back onto her knees, knocking into a rock-solid, unfamiliar barrier.

She paused, panting uncontrollably, before turning her silver head around hesitantly.

"Who –who's there?"

A few moments elapsed before there was a reply. "I'm so sorry, Princess." Suddenly she felt a familiar set of firm arms wrap around her waist and pull her abruptly into the harsh, bitter darkness.

But this time she was ready.

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Review! Critique is appreciated.

A/N: Very confusing chapter. First Endymion's nice, and then suddenly he turns bad again. _What? _I'm sorry…you'll just have to deal with it for now. Does _anyone _understand what the Silver Crystal part means?

Seriously, I'm thinking of changing the title of the story to "The Last Betrayal" or something along those lines, since it's amazing how many times he does betray her.

Ah…it's a good thing I can't say "golden hair" any more. I swear if I hear that phrase one more time I'm gonna blow.

I also up-hand apologize for Serenity's excessive blushing. I think of it as a disease. For both me and her. She can't stop the hormones, and I can't stop writing them.

By the way…I'm sorry I'm in love with cliffy's.

_Note to HZ & Possible RC:_ Do you notice how many vocabulary words from un. 1 I put in there? GAAAA! I didn't even want to! 'cuz now it sounds forced! I SWEAR, I wrote this before I got that book. I just kept editing it. And yes, I do know it is pathetic that I do no know the exact meaning of half the words in my own story (laughs). Then again, I've seen them used so many times in context that they're part of my vocabulary even though I have no idea what they mean. Hopefully they all work out. That's me 4 u.


	10. Chapter 9

Turning Back

By Ummster

Chapter 9

A/N: 

Umm….nothing much to say. Another late update. Really…I'm SORRY!! I had like 5 tests today. And add reading 3 Odyssey Books and a Reading Journal every day at 3 am. Fun. (Well looking back, this was actually written a week ago, becuz today's Sunday).

I'll be honest, I'm really getting bored with this story…it's NOT GOING ANYWHERE!! For the last chapter, I was like, ok….she's getting out today….but then something else happened to her and she didn't. So then hopefully in this one she will. Hint Hint After this chapter I promise it'll get interesting. (Ok sorry, this is another note: When I wrote this it was boring, but then I revised it some and now I think I like this chapter the most. Even though it is relatively short. And no, this isn't the end, don't worry P)

Endymion turns extremely…un-likable in his chapter. Hopefully all those other people who have crushes on him will forget him and he'll be all mine last chapter!! ) (Sry Rachel but he's nothing like Artemis Fowl…well maybe…in a way. LOL!!!) P

Oh, and before I forget, I put up a new story, **_Bunny Pajamas_**, so for anyone that's interested in present day SM, that's for you. Oh and….humor. Besides I'm a little more…enthusiastic about that story. Heehee…

BEWARE OF FLUFF!!!

(Lots of A/N's in this one, actually).

_And Review, as always!!!_

She glanced wearily at the black cloak damply clinging to her swollen limbs and then back up at the man who cradled her possessively to his chest. Exhaling gently, she slung her hands around his neck loosely, allowing him to hug her further into himself.

"Let loose a little, will ya!" She teased, crawling her fingers intimately up his shirt, twining them delicately into his sweeping ebony black hair.

"Sorry." He looked at her curiously, amazed at her actions. "She's coming, you know that, right?" Endymion retorted, smiling down at the blonde beauty he held in his arms. She nodded solemnly.

"I know."

He sighed, setting her down in the darkness as she rested a silver-strung head in his lap wearily. "I can't believe you're not mad at me."

"For what?"

He flushed nervously. "Do you not realize that I'm giving you up to Beryl yet again, Princess?"

With a discontented sigh, Serenity whimpered into his shoulder and sniffled. "I know…but you're doing it to _save_ me, right?"

_She knew?_ Endymion cursed, surprised with the bluntness of her answer. After all he'd done to make sure she wouldn't find out about the deal between him and Beryl…she was truly amazing. And gorgeous, or course, he added, a hint of a smile teasing his softened lips. She seemed so trusting and naive…if only he could scream out to her; _leave me, I'm a good for nothing bastard!_ He doubted even if he told her this she'd leave, not after learning the damned hardships he'd gone through to save his people.

"I suppose –I mean…"

"Aw, stop being so modest, Endy." She smiled radiantly up at him. Endymion clutched her hand tightly, unconsciously bringing it to his lips, sensing the sweat trickle down a lone cheek. His eyes widened as he realized that her head was bent slightly forward and her body curved seductively into his. Her brilliant blue eyes blinked up at his, innocently, a foot's length (A/N: Yeah, she's THAT SHORT!!) underneath his own. Serenity looked up at him in a fluttering glance as he took her hand and pressed his lips to her palm again; savoring the icy, intense spurt it sent parading through her burning fingers. Somehow he now stood inches away from her, their torsos nearly touching. (A/N: and I thought she was shy…).

He groaned in anticipation, still clutching her hands to his lips, and bent down gently, watching breathlessly as desire brimmed in her crystal sky-blue orbs. "Princess, are you…do you want…" He dropped her hand, letting it flop carelessly against her hip. Yet he didn't need incentive –he already knew…he bent down, capturing her sweet lips; and ice locked with fire. (A/N: Umm…that's a weird metaphor.)

She stopped and peered at him genuinely, her face burning. "We really shouldn't if we…"

"I know," he replied nonchalantly, before plundering her lips with his once again. Suddenly he stopped and blinked, letting her drop against the wall carelessly.

"I need to know how you knew I was saving you." His voice was hoarse, intimidating nonetheless.

She blanched, still blushing furiously. "I don't see why you care so much…"

"Tell me Princess…or I'll do that again…" His chest fell in shudders now, his face shaded and expressionless, and his eyes poised toward her swollen lips, barely suppressing the urge to delve into them once again.

_Gods, _he thought, cursing her, _does she always have to be so ready? _

Had he been trying to torture her? Or worse yet…arouse her?_ Did it all come down to that? _A wave of hurt glided forcefully down her spine, numbing her senses. She resisted the urge to cry aloud, frowning perplexedly instead. How could he be so inconsiderate? "I…I heard you outside my cell…voices…only fragments of sentences, and suddenly I heard the same set of voices in my head again…only this time they were clear as day. And I knew who the two voices belonged to better than anyone else." She'd expected him to smile but all he did was grimace.

Endymion groaned in disapproval. "How could you not tell me that? Your life is at stake here, remember! This could mean that your crystal is shedding new powers into you! Which could be the basis of your escape!"

_Does he even recall a minute ago?_ She thought angrily, thrusting a silver lock over her shoulder and turning away.

"NO. Its how much you want me out of here," she cried, hurt.

Endymion looked confused, but hesitated to comfort her. "Well yes, in a way…and all for your own good, of course."

"Endymion…" _Why must you be so deceiving? _She thought wearily. _All I ask is that you don't hurt me any more. And I'll cooperate. I'll be more than willing, in fact. Just…don't hurt me. _

Endymion looked at her grimly. "Look, Serenity…did anything unusual happen to your crystal when this occurred?"

"Yes," she mused, "It glowed…and levitated."

He grinned and tapped his head thoughtfully. "Well then…you've got yourself a ticket out."

He smiled warmly down at her, sending a warm tickling sensation rocketing through her…she smiled back and grasped his arm. Some things would never change.

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"Finally, you grant me the displeasure of your worthless faces!" Beryl seethed, incessant wine splashing over her goblet and onto the barren rock.

Endymion directed himself towards the demoness. "Yes, Beryl…we've come at last."

Serenity glanced around herself anxiously. This was a different, more cruel location then the last, the impenetrable throne room…and perhaps the change was for the better. With a discreet look around she had deduced that they had reached the end of what seemed to be a murky forest, covered in tree-length vines and other forest apertures. Olfactory swamps converged in the distance, forming a bottomless pit of gunk by the side of the location. _Where they on Earth?_ She wondered, clutching Endymion's hand to keep from flinging headfirst into the mound of grayish mud that clung to her ankles like officious guests. She'd always considered Earth to be a simple, beautiful place…this was more like what she imagined lay on the cold, desolate planet of Pluto. (A/N: poor Pluto. She's not a planet anymore).

Beryl glared at him. "I see that. Since when have you two been so…close?" She raised a slithering eyebrow. (A/N: imagine Mona Lisa –she doesn't have eyebrows. So a slithering eyebrow would be like a pencil line of hair. Ouch).

"We ummm…we just…." Serenity searched for an appropriate response. "We resolved our conflicts mutually."

She grinned sardonically at her, darting a peculiarly glance at Endymion. "With a kiss like that I'm sure you've resolved you conflicts, all right."

His eyes reeled back into his head, mind churning fruitlessly. Damnit, was she omniscient? The demon had an uncanny sense of knowing exactly what the two were up to…and at all the worst times. (A/N: Hadeetho, vocab words spinning at you!! I swear, they come back to haunt me every time!!)

Her words set his eyes straight in a millisecond. "Oh…if only I could experience something such intensive pleasure, such loving tenderness…" Endymion gawked, breathing heavily, his cobalt eyes darkening as he watched to monster glare at him, a foreign expression writ on her chiseled face. Pearly drops of glistening saliva amassed around Beryl's mouth, trickling down her chin and nuzzling her red neck.

"Oh please…"

He darted a glance at her again, stepping in front of Serenity cautiously. "Excuse me?"

She knew what he was thinking and cursed –then looked to his right at the innocent girl blinking horridly up at her, her rosy palms splayed over her tinted cheeks.

"It's you!" she bellowed, "you who has been stripping me of this wonderful experience!" She growled and leaped to the ground off her perch on the massive boulder which formed her second 'throne', and down to the patch of padded earth beside the girl. Unleashing an unearthly (A/N: O, haha. Very funny. _Unearthly_) yelp, in an instant she had seized the dumbfound Serenity by the neck, her blood-red fingertips digging crevices into the flushed pale skin.

Serenity gasped as the creature bared her clean-cut fingernails into her sensitive flesh. The thin pricks wrapped around her neck easily, linking together at the ends, nearly strangling her. Painfully, she managed to wring her own hands around Beryl's neck, only to watch, horrified, as they burned at instant contact. Screaming, she snatched her hands back, glancing ruefully at the fresh circle of raw flesh revealed on her palms. The monster's hands remained locked forcefully to her neck as she drowned in her expert violet eyes, glazed over with a bubbling sense of hatred. She gulped against the cold flesh.

"Please," she rasped, almost inaudibly to them both, "Please get this over with. I swear on oath to the Gods that I won't resist."

Beryl spit on her face in disgust, allowing the burning liquid to burn an incessant hole through the tender skin below her eye. The swollen eyes closed shut wobbly, and soon Serenity found herself unable to see anything except a harsh darkness sweeping over the landscape. "I was actually planning on carrying this out tersely and painfully….yet since you insist and since I can't bear looking at your despicable face another turn, I suppose I'll have to finish you off here and now." She glanced swiftly around herself, smirking as her eyes fell on the illegible, dark features of the other man.

He squinted against the radiating light that formed in Beryl's hands as she clutched the girl harder, watching her wince against the sudden outbreak of energy. "You know," he began, skillfully dodging her, "that all you need is her energy. What use is killing her going to give you?"

She glared at him again, eyes glinting mischievously. "It would give me the satisfaction of knowing that you're all _mine _now…"

His usually unwavering midnight blue eyes squirmed in disgust, evading the demoness' seductive glare. "You make me _sick_."

Beryl growled. "You'll pay for that, you know you will!" She seethed, a lash of green light blinding them both and igniting a painful yelp in the other. The green continued to grow as Endymion squinted into it, reaching out for the stricken girl on the other end.

"Serenity…"

"Endymion!" The voice echoed back, "…pain, unbearable pain!"

"But where are you?" he returned, "The light blinds me…"

_The light_. Endymion snapped his head up from his reverie, smacking himself with nonchalance. That was it! The light! The same light that had suddenly bestowed a hearing capacity blown out of proportion to Serenity…and the same that he had warned about so long ago…

"Serenity! Use your crystal! Your crystal! It's the only way to get out of her!"

"Endymion…" the voice was fading now, hardly anything above a whisper. Suddenly Beryl loosed contact, allowing the girl to slip away from her and into the ready arms of the dark haired man next to her. With a groan she slumped onto his shoulder, crying out as the monster beside continued growing the strange neon light twining between her slender fingers, caught up in her own trance, muttering incoherent words…

"Serenity." He stroked her silver-strung hair thoughtfully. "Please, look at me." He edged her chin up to his face, peering into her crystal, pale blue eyes in dismay. Her orbs seemed hazy and unfocused. "Please…" he kissed her cheek tenderly, watching her eyes slowly focus in on his and widen in awe.

"You have to leave, Princess. It's the only way out of this nightmare."

She opened her mouth, letting out a breathy whisper, "How?"

"Use your crystal, princess." He paused to wipe a glistening tear off her burnt, still lovely cheeks. "As you've done so many times in the past." She closed her eyes, turning away from him, and folded her hands around the ancient gem. A whirl of power surged into her fingertips, cascading around her in delicate folds that twined around her beautifully. Her face shown radiantly, the pain etching away, replaced with creases of concentration. Suddenly the winds halted, the power dying. She fell back into his arms, breathless.

"Come on, Princess. Just one last time," he murmured, inwardly disappointed at her lack of success.

It's not that, she replied, breathless, gasping for air. "It's that…that…"

"What is it?"

"I…I…"

"Yes?" He could feel the power surging through here again, that mysterious power that she wielded. With a flutter it had started over again –the tense winds, the flush of youth that passed her features…in an instant she had opened her eyes, hair flying, and muttered these indisputable words:

_"I love you, Endymion."_

And in a flash of brilliance she was gone.

"Wait!" he cried out to the darkness, "Come back!" Yet it was too late…she had gone, and at that moment Beryl plundered her ruthless lips on his, sending his mind tumbling into nothingness…

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A/N: Hello!!! So how'd you like?

Yes I do feel really bad for Endymion the last sentence there, but it had to happen sometime. After all, that's what Beryl's been raving about the whole chapter.

P

Cheers,

your neighborhood Ummster (I've been watching Spiderman)


	11. Time unfolds

Chapter 10 --Time unfolds

Turning Back

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A/N: Actually a review got me going with this story again. (That was LunaD –thank you so much! I don't quite understand how anonymous readers get alerts though…but moving on…)

I'd almost forgotten about it (shame on me), too caught up with the other two stories to really give a thought to this one…after all I'm still trying to sort out some minor confusions in the plot, because I've suddenly realized that some things just don't make sense. I'm really confused about how to make Serenity look…this chapter occurs 5 years later so things have REALLY changed. (Well if you think about it they're still fairly young -21 and 24)

If there isn't a good turnout for this chapter I might go back and change things around. I was tempted to do that for the last chapter because (sadly) I wasn't sure where all my readers had gone but then I read it over and found that there were only minor changes –why bother?

But overall I'm trying to make this story a lot better because understandably I've improved substantially while writing this piece…yaa yaa, yaada yaada, blah blah, this is my first fanfic and kinda also my first REAL story (like over 5 pages –all I've ever written are a few sappy short stories) so it took some time getting used to.

So hopefully people haven't abandoned this story yet! PLEASE STICK WITH ME, though I warn it is nowhere near over. The whole first 10 chapters were more like a…prologue…into this…well a very big prologue, mind you, don't go worrying that this story's going to be 100 chapters long. It's probably going to be…maybe…(am I allowed to estimate) 20 chapters in total, including the prologue or "part one" or whatever you call it.

Also keep in mind that I'm not abandoning my other stories either….in fact, I'm FAR from abandoning them. So, I repeat, STICK WITH ME!!!

UMMSTER

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_Time unfolds_

_Like a cherry blossom's unfurling, radiant petals-_

_The pale softness merging into a crisp vibrant bliss;_

_An exquisite reminder _

_That life moves on..._

…_and on._

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Limping into the open courtyards she let out an unearthly shriek and collapsed into the soft daffodils. Her eyes opened warily as she eyed a fluff of a white daffodil puff and blew on it gently, tilting it upwards to watch the seeds disappear into the white-washed, pale sky. "To…to…my Endymion," she murmured shakily, her forehead throbbing, and setting herself down into another sweet slumber.

She peeked her eyes open after a few moments, her body tensing as she became suddenly aware of another presence in the garden.

A cat –a midnight black feline- stealthily made its way across the path of tranquil flowers. Luna scratched at the trodden dirt, poised for attack.

The cat's expression fell as she realized what it was. "Serenity!" She screamed, instantly bounding towards the fallen girl and nuzzling into her neck. She let the girl sob into her fuzzy warmth, only relieved that they had found her at last.

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Endymion pulled the creature off him, spitting out infected saliva and making a wild dash towards the out-landing woods. He distantly could make out his name being bellowed by the demon but wouldn't risk returning…ever again. He sighed as he paused to look around himself at the barren surroundings, and willed himself to concentrate, to no avail. He needed to get out of the place. He tried again, feeling a concurring warmth in his gut as a flash on light burst out of his chest, sending violent tremors down his spine. Opening his eyes tentatively, he crawled out of the darkness, suddenly recognizing his surrounding and smiling drunkenly.

"H-h-home…" he slurred, leaning against a tree and panting furiously. A passing maid suddenly stopped to stare at him, her basket of flowers dropping to the ground as she recognized the man.

"Your- your majesty?" she stuttered, not believing her eyes. Her eyes widened as she saw him stumble towards her on his knees.

"Please," he rasped, his hands clasped before her, "forgive me, Serenity. Please, forgive me…forgive me." The girl screamed as a dirty finger touched her hand, prancing into the distance, heard yelling that his majesty had gone mad, not giving a thought to who exactly Serenity was.

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_The mystical-like, pale whiteness of the brides' chambers held no resemblance to the stressful aura dissipating from the room's one inhabitant._

_The temple bells chimed once…twice; she let out a startled gasp as she heard footsteps below her door. "Coming, ma!" She paused to raise a hand to her hair, and with a gentle flick of her wrist the soft, billowing silver curls spilled down in structured heaps to her waist. She ran a hand through it in annoyance. Where were the (damned) scriptures? _

_"Serenity?" She turned to catch the ever-foreseeing eye of her mother, the lean figure hovering above her officiously. "They need you. The ceremony's about the start."_

_Serenity sighed, pulling at her knuckles carelessly, causing her mother to wince –it had never been a habit she was particularly fond of._

_"Well come down soon, dear." The elderly women stooped to whisper gently in her ear, "This is your big day, after all." The woman left with a bow._

_But the marriage scriptures! Where are they? Her mind screamed as she lifted the hem of her dress and began to pace wildly around her tiled floor. She paused in front of her door, wondering if she should come down and face the spectators awaiting her arrival, or cower in her room a bit longer. Seized with a bat of compulsion, Serenity thrust the door open, jumping back in shock as a familiar shroud of glossy ebony hair loomed before her. She sighed belatedly and collapsed into his ready arms._

_"You startled me," she whimpered simply as he brought himself nearer and wrapped a pair of firm, possessive hands on her shoulders, all thoughts lost, as a rippling sense of security rocketed down her spine; her world dissolving into the black strands that tickled her forehead…_

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_5 years later Palace of Serenity_

Serenity awoke with a start, exhaling gently as she swung her silver locks into a careless bun and stumbled into her bathroom. With a tentative hand she wrenched the knob of the antique sink up, watching slowly as the water seeped in enveloping gulps into the porcelain cup she held shakily in her hand. She wiped her sweaty forehead with the base of her hand, sighing soberly.

Her dreams were always such pesky thoughts, yet so passionate –often Serenity wondered whether they were her own hopeful thinking, intricate creations of her mind to raise her hopes and quell her disappointment. Yet she knew it would never be. Some things weren't meant to be. And as much as she hoped and yearned for the day _he_ would return, she rather knew that she would probably never set eyes on _him_ again.

Yet she never ceased to wonder; in the dreams, the dreams she wished to forget: was she being married to _him _or another man?

Would it mater, though? Her mind screamed in assent. _To hell it would. He was your first love, and to this day stands your only. _Somehow she doubted that would ever change. She couldn't, wouldn't forget _him_.

Serenity heard her footsteps ascend to her room and was swept with a sense of déjà vu as she heard her name being shrilly repeated, and then the distinct words _"They need you"_.

"Excuse me?" she bellowed, thrusting open her ivory door to behold her mother, twining and untwining her slender fingers behind her back.

"They need you," the elder woman repeated. She wondered whether her dashing ebony-shrouded hero would subsequently enter in a few moments as in her dream –suddenly beset to sighing belatedly, realizing again that it was only wishful thinking.

She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and turned abruptly to catch her mother gazing down at her, her brow furrowed in worry. "You alright, dear?"

"I suppose, yes." She shook her head sadly, turning away slightly as her mother squeezed her neck comfortably.

"Serenity, I need you to meet someone."

"Who?"

Her companion squirmed uncomfortably. "Well we all know Seran wasn't exactly the perfect fiancé." Serenity grimaced inwardly. "However, you've come of age –you might even be considered over age-"

"What's your point?" she whispered, not wishing to revive old memories that she would rather not think of.

"I…well…Serenity you need to get married. For real now."

Some lone object in her heart stilled at the statement. "I –I don't think- I still haven't overcome the trauma- the trauma- of Beryl and her…"

"That was five years ago," her mother snapped in annoyance, "Surely you've overcome that. Time doesn't stop, you know, Sere. It goes on." With that she slipped her hands off of her daughter's shoulders and slipped silently out of the chambers.

Unable to suppress the rising tide of emotions she sank into her bed, her head bent, the tears slowly slipping off her face. And she let them, the crystalline tears, let them fall, five years of dissatisfaction and unwanted emotion dripping silently into her pillows. Cradling her head in her arms, she heard a faint knock on her door.

"Serenity," a distinctly male voice mumbled, husky and seductively low…her heart skipped a beat in her breast as she erratically wondered what to do. Yet she wasn't given much a chance as the door creaked open and a shadow crept into her room, wrapping firm arms around her shoulders and cradling her to a familiar chest.

"It's nice to see you again." Serenity glanced up fearfully, her vision suddenly wrapping around a pair of warm light blue eyes.

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A/N: Sorry to disappoint you, that was a remarkably short chapter. But I didn't think I would right more…then too much would be revealed…and stuff. Yeah, I'm tired; I can't really type right now so umm….don't mind me. Good night (yawns). Thank goodness for winter break. D

Love ya'all 3 3….

….Ummster


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Turning Back

A/N:

Hey peeps, nothing much to say, just doing hw over here…mmmmmpphh bad math test…don't talk to me now I'm really depressive and what I say kinda comes out in little rambles (not that it doesn't already but…more so…which is actually kinda scary see what I mean?) So I'll talk about the story at the end.

But we have a long weekend this time around!! So you can expect to have some updates on other stories…but sorry not much I'm guessing, as I DO have a bunch of essay's to revise…hmmm teachers do love long weekends, don't they? Just so they can torture us with a pile of homework and ruin our weekends.

x So Read and Review x (And ♥'s work by the way so: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥)

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From Last Chapter:

"_Serenity," a distinctly male voice mumbled, husky and seductively low…her heart ♥ _(A/N: Ok I'm sorry, those things are just so fun to make)_ skipped a beat in her breast as she erratically wondered what to do. Yet she wasn't given much a chance as the door creaked open and a shadow crept into her room, wrapping firm arms around her shoulders and cradling her to a familiar chest._

_"It's nice to see you again." Serenity glanced up fearfully, her vision suddenly wrapping around a pair of warm light blue eyes._

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"Diamond?" she squeaked timidly, not sure if she should trust her eyes or not. A shroud of distinctly familiar pale blue hair loomed before her, tickling the top of her forehead uneasily.

"Of course, Sere." His head dropped as he took her palm in his and pressed his lips to her trembling fingers, his mouth curving into an awkward smile.

She frowned, not sure what to think at the moment. "Weren't you…enlisted in the Martian army or another?"

He grinned roguishly, ruffling his hair carelessly to the side. "They dispatched me on word of the forthcoming ceremonies."

"Ceremonies?"

"Ah, so they did not tell you. Our marriage of course." She guffawed as he inspected her closely with his deathly pale eyes, a satisfied smirk overlaying his handsome features, and bent to nuzzle her neck.

He hadn't gotten nearly as far as he'd hoped when she suddenly sprang off her mattress, thrusting him off her and delved into her bathroom as fast as she could.

She could hear his anxious voice from the other side. "Serenity? Are you alright in there?"

Serenity forced a straight face and sneaked the ivory door open a crack, peeping out into the daylight. "Of course. It just doesn't feel right that I haven't had a bath yet and you're…" she gulped "…standing next to me. Speaking as you're my fiancé and we…" she stumbled over the words in disparity, forcing herself to reel out something decent to satisfy him, "…are expected to, to…"

She heard him chuckle resoundly. "Go ahead. I'll be waiting for you at breakfast." Waiting till she heard his footsteps disappear into the distance and the slight thud of the door slamming against the ancient premises, she cranked open the shower, allowing it to warm as she sat gaily at her vanity. A few seconds gazing at her embarrassed countenance and she crept into the enclosure, clothes discarded, the burning droplets splashing against her flushed skin. It took a while for her to collect enough energy to pull the messy elastic out of her silver hair and watch as it cascaded down her back, damply plastered to her neck and shoulders.

Nevertheless, her efforts to hold her composure were in vain as she sank against the transparent walls, her head resting languidly against her arms as the steaming water continued its trail against her body.

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♦Flashback, 15 years♦

(A/N: Hehehe lets do some math. She was 16 when this story started. 5 years later she would be 21. 15 years before that would be –come on, you can do it- when she's 6!!! Hehehe…I'm not very good at arithmetic myself…god who needs arithmetic when you can just use a calculator! Anyways they let us use calculators in school. Anyways back on track! She's 6…aww cute…I dunno just the picture I have in my mind of a 6-year old Serenity is this adorable little girl…aww…

By the way…this is written as Serenity sees is so it's kind of simple…like stuff 6-year olds would notice…and yeah.)

oooooooo

"…_and the orphans need proper training, Senator Rubeus…food and shelter are necessities…those poor things…"_

_Serenity, having long since discovered not to listen too intently into her mother's mundane council discussions, steeped clumsily behind her, chubby fingers twirling endless strands of gold around her rosy cheek. Giggling at her easy amusement, her attention again turned to her mother, engaged in a heated discussion with one of the senators. Her timid baby blue eyes peeked out from behind her mother's skirt hesitantly. The man was tall –excessively so- he seemed to tower over her mother, which made him seem positively menacing to her. Long, seeping strands of dusty brown hair hung over a high forehead paired with piercing azure eyes. Her eyes widened as she realized that those very orbs were now staring fixatedly down at her in a tinge of what seemed to be annoyance._

_"Must you bring her everywhere?" she heard him remark, his voice hoarse but astonishingly smooth._

_"It does her good." Serenity felt a gentle hand on her forehead as her mother smiled up at the tall man. "Though she may be a bit of a nuisance –and I'm sure she's not too attentive- but these lections do help her." There was a pause. "The point is for her to hear how it's done –whether consciously or not."_

_The man smiled down at her, his brow lightening as he peered down at the young girl, this time falling to his knees and taking her petite hands in his own. She gazed back at him in awe, her eyes falling over the protruding gash evident on his left cheek. "Hello there Serenity," he murmured, "do you know who I am?" _

_She shook her head honestly and he laughed, a long, belching laugh that echoed across of the hall and rang vibrantly in her ear. "I'm Senator Rubeus."_

_"Go on, Serenity," her mother urged, her white palms bustling her forward, "Rubeus wishes to talk to you."_

_"H-hai." She licked her lips nervously. "Senator Rubeus," she acknowledged, her eyelashes sweeping the bottom of her lids. "It's nice to meet you." He laughed again and Serenity winced, a pit forming at the base of her stomach. She'd tried…_

_"Such an earnest child," he chortled, patting her blonde curls gently, and turning back to the elder. "I have one like her. A son actually." He smiled faintly, his eyes hazing out of focus for a moment. "I'm sure he'd be all too pleased to meet her." His brilliant, wandering eyes circulated the room, fixating on a faint bob of whitish blue in the corner of the grand hall. "Boy!" he roared suddenly. He paused. "I said- BOY!" In an instant a bob of blue had bounced upwards and begun speeding hurriedly towards the caller, missing him by a fraction and prancing quite unexpectedly into Serenity's pathway. _

_She screamed, her vision suddenly swimming in a hoard of pale blue hair, and collapsed backwards into her mother's arms. She stood there for what seemed like an eternity, her head nestled against the warm flannel cloth covering her mother's stomach, until a shrill, boyish voice broke the silence._

_"I'm awfully sorry, you know." She nodded and turned to find him staring at the ground, blushing profoundly. Serenity sniffed and buried her head again in the warm sanctuary of her mother's arms._

_"It's ok." She extended a stubby hand to him, wiping away a tear with her sleeve. "My name's Serenity."_

_He grinned, finally turning his face towards her. His pale blue eyes lit in eagerness and he took the hand a bit too enthusiastically. "Serenity…that's a…n-nice name." He flushed again. She smiled warmly and as best she could wrench her hands from his astonishingly firm grip. _

"_I'm Diamond." _

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He'd been a friend, the son of the renowned Senator Rubeus, an enthusiastic boy who seemed to be particularly fond of death-wrenching grips. The two had grown up together –through the nicks and crevices- till about the time she had been introduced to the Senshi at her twelfth birthday. She remembered it faintly –memories of a young, handsome blue-haired boy leading her through the garden and providing her company when delegates were invitited. Come to think of it, she probably hadn't seen Diamond since his hasty visit during her engagement to Seran –apparently he had tried his prospects as a militant with the Martian army. Politics never did suit him. She knew that much. Diamond leant too heavily on impulse and intuition to have any real talent in the field.

She'd never been particularly fond of him. At the most she could stand his company and hold a decent conversation with him –that much of an improvement over her previous fiancé. Yet it was interesting how Diamond acted as if they'd been friends all their life –or perhaps even more than that. It did also help that they knew each other; and sure, his features weren't as mundane as some others she knew. Doubtless if she hadn't been so caught up in…she would have found him delectably handsome.

Serenity sighed and turned off the metal tap, watching carelessly as the droplets dripped delicately off her flushed skin. Sometimes, she thought, the future was too quick in its coming. Like the droplets. Little annoyances didn't wait to patter to the floor. With a quick slap of her towel the noise stopped, and in quietude she brushed her hair, wishing she were someone else. But more than ever wishing that she were walking down to…

She shook her head sadly. No, she'd refused to revert back to that mentality. He was in her past now, and he would never be coming back. It was about time that she realized this. Yet even as she passed through the winding flight of steps that led to the palace breakfast hall, she could have sworn she saw a particular dark-haired man lounging in the corner, his ebony-black locks slung casually against his forehead, a pair of enticing ocean-blue eyes haunting her vision; and a pair of sensual, passionate lips on hers…

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"Ah, there she is."

Serenity sighed and turned to face her mother, picking up a platter of food and moving along to the breakfast hall, looking down at the breakfast she had picked up. An apple tart and a cut of pineapple bread with a touch of jam. Hmm…(A/N: the things I would do for that breakfast! I wonder what pineapple bread tastes like though…)

"Are you going to eat that or stare at it all day?" She turned to find Diamond watching her with amused eyes. He reached for her plate and snatched up an apple tart, eyes twinkling mischievously "Ha!…finders keepers." He ate it hungrily, licking the jam off his plate and smiling cockily. She blinked, wondering why she found him so unmoving…perhaps he hadn't quite caught her at the right time.

"Alright then," she grumbled, a bit disgruntled, turning her feet to walk back yet again to get some cold milk from Matilda. Yet a hand held her back. She watched in amazement as, for the second time that day, he planted his lips on her hand and reached his fingers into her tumbling array of silver hair, his nimble hands working through the subtle knots left from the dampness.

"Please don't leave," he murmured, gazing softly into her delicate blue orbs as she gazed back in a wonder.

She didn't reply and he bent forward, mistaking her silence for endearment. At the last moment she shoved the bread into her mouth, cringing at the sudden burst of flavor from the fruit but also of the hurt that tinted his eyes as he blinked confusedly her, his head hovering centimeters from her face. Not able to stand the guilt she pushed him away, biting her lip as she gathered her skirts to find her mother and a seat before she crumbled in embarrassment. Yet before she left she felt a burst of pain and then the salty twinge of the blood seeping into her mouth, its flavor numbing and startling at the same time…immediately she felt tears form at the base of her eyes and hurriedly she wiped them away. Collecting herself she sat herself down, nodding to Diamond's mother at the far-reaching side of the elongated table and turning to her own.

"Nice day isn't it?" she said as she sat down, her breath panting, and downing a glass of wine in record timing. Her mother raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Her attention turned to the assembly around her, acknowledging the dignitaries on the other side as was custom and folding her arms in her lap, alternating between twiddling her thumbs and staring at the ceiling. If she did wish to talk, no doubt her conversation would be private (their portion of the table was unoccupied) yet really she would have rather sat mundanely to eat her breakfast than be forced to think up something intelligent to say.

Her mother was the one to break the silence. "So…how do you like Diamond? I couldn't help but notice the two of you alone back by the assorted foods…" the voice trialed while her mother, unaware, spooned a good heap of steaming soup into her mouth. Serenity cringed, quite ashamed at herself for leaving him alone next to the trays of buffet cousine. She responded with a slight nod and returned to the habit of staring at the ceiling.

"You know that's an alarming temptation of yours." Her mother frowned and waved a hand in front of her face. "Serenity? Serenity!"

Her eyes snapped back to her mother, her mind unthawing as she heard her name being spoken with anger…

_Oh dear. Did I miss something? _"Can I help you mother?"

The Queen's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "I was just saying what an alarming temptation it is nowadays for you to revert back into your own little world. Your _Dream Land,_" she mocked. "Really, it would do you good to have a little respect."

"It's not respect it's just that…"

"I know Sere, that things haven't been perfect but that doesn't mean you can disregard your responsibilities on that basis. You have a life to live and it's about time you started living it."

Serenity paused to stare at her companion perplexedly, wondering what it was she could possibly have said to put her mother in such a horrid temper. "I…I'm living my life aren't I? What do you mean…I'm affianced to the man you chose, I do…"

"But that's not enough Sere," her mother interrupted, "You haven't yet forgotten your past –and I'm afraid if you don't you'll never be able to move on. Please, for my sake and your own, forget…everything." She paused, lifting her palm to Serenity's shoulder tenderly. "Trust my I know," she took a deep breath, sucking in wistfully, "from experience…that it's not quite as easy…as it sounds…yet ultimately it's what best and what's right for _you, _my dear…"

"You want me to forget, like you did? Like you did when your husband left you? She snapped, clamping a hand on her mouth as she realized what she had just said and gasping, appalled at her own furious words.

She hadn't meant to tell her but somehow she felt she couldn't contain the secret much longer. Of her encounter with Beryl she'd only told her mother, and Luna, so much; she'd conveniently left our certain details such as the fact that she'd been previously (if one could consider it as so) in love with a certain Terran prince who was also working for the demoness. Yet regarding Jedeite- it wasn't in her own hands, and if Jedeite wished her not to inform her mother of his status, she wasn't one to break this for him. Nevertheless, somehow the fact that her mother _deserved_ to know broke her heart in a way. Often she wished her mother was the innocent bride she had once been in the hands of her dashing prince; the problem was the prince had rode away and disappeared and the innocent bride had became a hardened shell, blocking out emotions and locking away the past. (A/N: Interesting….sounds very much like Ms. Havisham. Hehehe….actually no don't think that!! That'll only confuse you.)

Serenity gulped as she gently took the shaking hand leaning on her shoulder and massaged it gently, her gaze fixed intently on the ground beneath her. "You know mother…I know about Jedeite."

Something in the elderly Queen stilled at that moment, a lone glimmer in her shaded blue eyes; a glint in an unforeseen darkness. Stock still, she turned to her daughter, squeezing the hand tentatively and pausing to lift her eyes to Serenity. Her expression was emotionless yet intent, gazing down at her in wonder.

The pale, stricken mother didn't move. "You know?"

Serenity nodded. "Yes. But there's more." Again, the Queen dared not flex a muscle. "Back when…"

"Serenity we just agreed that we wouldn't bring this up."

She shook her head sadly, sniffling on the edge of her sleeve and burying her head in her mother's lap, crisp tears trickling down her flushed cheeks into her mother's ready palms. "He's still alive –I met him five years ago. But the thing is…he works for Beryl, mama!"

Unable to control herself, she sobbed harder as her mother lifted her silvery head out of her lap and pressed it to her chest, weeping silently alongside her.

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A/N:

Aww I'm sorry I ended like that! It wasn't really my choice but I felt it would be a good place. It also wasn't nearly as long as I'd hoped but it'll do I supposed.

Anyways…

Guess what? DIAMOND's in this chapter! I don't know much about him, just stuff from other fanfic stories. So tell me if I'm off a bit. And yes, it might be a bit odd that Diamond is in a story with Beryl as well but um…they really have no connection anyways. Here Diamond comes as Serenity's distant "cousin" so he isn't necessarily bad or anything. (He's just a nuisance –read and you'll find out). Tell me if you want his brothers in this.

Also tell me if you'd rather me use Demando instead of Diamond. I just like Diamond better.

Anyways…for a few chapters you're going to have to bear with me…Serenity and Endymion are on two separate planets and are not communicating at all. Say bye-bye to romance (umm….sorry!). Hehehe all I can say is when they DO meet…

I CAN'T WAIT!

Too bad she has another fiancée, poor girl.

O right before I forget, I seriously need a new name for Diamond's father. At first I thought Rubeus (haha Ruby, Diamond –ok I'll shut up) –isn't that someone's first name from Harry Potter? My mind is a little hazy right now. For now it's "Senator Rubeus." Any suggestions? I need something short –well ok not necessarily but like…kinda dignified and that goes w/ the other names in the story.

So G-N,

Ummster☺☻

Actually about this chapter…it's kind of an experiment. One of my friends was SOO disappointed that it wasn't Endymion that she like got really mad at me so…I dunno this isn't solid yet, I can repost if the majority want a different plot. This was where I was headed before but she thinks it's getting too complicated. I don't blame her…

But If I do keep it this way, Endymion'll see Serenity in the next chapter…to speed things up and get to the good stuff!

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	13. Endymion Returns

**Chapter 12**

**Turning Back**

**By Ummster**

_**A/N:**_

Hmmm…what now? I'm not going to go into the whole Serenity-her-mother thing; I tend to skip through things a lot. So therefore…that's going to be over…and well.

I'm sorry about the last chapter, it kinda sucked…but then it can only get better, right?

Yes, I have good things planned for this chapter and I'm absolutely sure you'll like it…especially the end. (Ok no I'm not but I can hope, can't I? Are you gonna deny me THAT pleasure too?)

Read, please, and of course, grace me with a review! I CRAVE MORE for this chapter! They always make my day anyways…don't you wanna make Ummster's day?

This chapter's not long but a lot happen, especially at the end. So keep up with me. Feel free to review for clarification, etc, unless I can't say yet (which is probably it…I mean some surprises I save for other chapters).

So far I've decided that I'm leaving Diamond the way he is…all vulnerable, just for the sake of fitting my story more so. Hopefully this doesn't confuse anyone that is familiar with the harsh one…

_**Disclaimer: **_

Of course, if I owned Sailor Moon, I wouldn't be bothered with (stupid GASP I mean tiresome) orchestra testing.

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Of all the times he could have chosen to go for a stroll in the chrysanthemum bed, he had to have chosen _now._

She groaned as her fiancé slowly turned round the bend to the garden, pausing to admire the pink, pert petals blanketing the moist ground below her. They, unlike her, seemed to be thriving in the slight dewy drizzle that misted the fields in healthy wonder while she stood there, her high-strung silver hair mopping up the drops like an overly large sponge as her fiancé took his time admiring the setting.

If only he would hurry up.

And then there was the time. She wondered how long it had taken him to decide on inviting her to join him through his pleasure stroll at the time of _her_ normal leisure activities; which mostly involved dreaming…of things she'd rather not mention. Though lately they she had been forced to give up the precious time to prepare for the ball coming up. However long it had taken it, it was certainly not appreciated- Serenity watched in annoyance as he stood there, shaking his head, devoid of any suspicion that she could not be having the absolute time of her life at the moment.

"Rather nice of me to take you around, ay Sere?" He remarked, taking her hand in his and kissing it lightly. Plastering a smile on her face (a feat she had toned to perfection many years ago) she nodded, wondering how in the world Diamond could be so conceited. Though, she reasoned, it wasn't entirely his fault for being ignorant of the fact that she basked in her time alone.

"Don't you think it's getting a bit chilly, though?" Serenity tried, nudging at Diamond's overcoat and shivering for emphasis. "Perhaps we should be heading back inside? For some dinner, how do you like that?"

He shuddered. "Not too much, I'm afraid, but I can solve your problems easily." Smiling stupidly, he slipped of the overlying layer of his formal attire and slung it over her shoulders. If Serenity hadn't been so preoccupied she might have actually considered it romantic but now she laid it aside as a insignificant, desperate attempt at chivalry. "How is it?"

"Fine," she muttered to herself. Suddenly she realized he expected more. She cleared her throat uneasily. "Err…quite warm." She shook her head sadly, wondering why it was so difficult for her to tell him that she'd rather be inside at the moment, rather than make up these pathetic excuses.

Then again, everything in her life was pathetic now.

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The Terran prince glanced at the note from his high-positioned throne in amazement.

"Pathetic," he grumbled, "Purely pathetic." And the demon actually expected him to believe it. Never in an ion had he expected this. It was amazing that the creature would sink as low as forging a note and pretending to be his beautiful princess…

But what was he to do? Even if he _did _know the plan was a hoax, should he still arrive there and surprise her by revealing that he knew it was a fake? Or ignore the message and pretend he had never received it?

_What if it wasn't a hoax? _

His brows creased in astonishment, his eyes setting towards the advisor dozing in the corner, mind reverting back to a familiar face.

_Jedeite would have known._

The dark-haired man groaned in frustration, wondering what had happened to the ashen man who had once roved with him through the terrains of Terra, now captured in a deathly shrine of hell and murder.

And with that thought in mind, he vowed to seek vengeance on the demoness.

And to find Jedeite, once and for all.

The slip of paper fluttered downward slowly, unnoticed by the handsome man who stood over it, mind pursed in thought.

_To my dear Endymion,_

_I wish to meet you one last time. I miss you exceedingly. You know where to find me._

_Awaiting your arrival,_

_Your dearest Serenity._

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Serenity swore that if she was forced to stand through another of Diamond's endless lectures about the correspondence between a slight drizzle and the perpetual growth of plants she would scream for mercy. My my, was he quite the talker. The worst part, however, what that he wouldn't stop. As much as she hinted; subtlety at first and then quite evidently, he never seemed to catch it.

She was about to die of boredom when she saw them, a pair of twin manikins, dancing to the rhythm of the breeze.

Serenity called Diamond's attention to the pair of fluttering butterflies, hovering above a lone rose petal. She asked to be excused for a moment as she childishly followed them in a zigzagged path across the field, entranced by the silver wings and seemingly ethereal eyes that blinked up at her in a thousand different ways.

Its path changed to a flurried shuffle and she maintained a steady pace with it, her eyes fixed on the beautiful objects. Only when they had disappeared into the darkness did she realize where they had taken her.

The foaming waters, the gentle tide, the thriving growth across the pink-peach banks…it was the waterfall alright. She sat down automatically, wondering at the fact that she hadn't been to the silent sanctuary in ages. She rested quietly against the gentle brush of the breeze against her face, basking in the glory of knowing this tranquil spot was still ultimately reserved to her, and would remain so. Serenity sighed and blew gently on a tuft of daffodil.

Then it hit her.

_Where was Diamond?_

She nearly hit herself in annoyance, wondering why she had supposed she could find her way back to Diamond if she took a detour across the azalea bed to admire the colorful, prancing little nuisances fluttering mischievously back into her path.

Only to find that the rain had begun to patter harder down her open back and the mud was much too sticky to be able to pass through. Trudging on through the goop, she found herself on the opposite side she was had wished to be, surrounded by a myriad of unfamiliar grubs, and altogether, an unfamiliar landscape.

_If only she'd brought an umbrella_.

How she had managed to get lost in the massive expanse of lush garden was beyond her, but now her mind was set on finding a way out. True, she had lived here all of her life but had never been outside the premises without her guardian snapping at her to follow the path.

All she could make out through the hazy mess of flippant raindrops were two dark figures standing beside the gloomy rose bed. She recalled the last time she had been there and shuddered, putting a hand to her throbbing forehead and wondering if she could ask the distant figures for assistance.

She took a step forward, almost fainting at what she saw.

It was _him. _

Suddenly he turned his head from his companion, his ebony black hair whipping in the rain, his midnight blue eyes glinting in astonishment as they stared fixedly into the distance.

At her.

Unable to bear the thought of him recognizing her, she quickly gathered her drenched skirts, wet slick against her body, and made a dash for the gate, icy tears flew down her cheeks, intermingling with the dirty rain pounding fresh trails down her exposed, reddened back. Not realizing where she was going she felt a blinding splash of pain as her dress tore through a thorn patch, hot spurts of blood soaking into the dirt and down the disheveled white front of her clothing. She sank to the ground, her hair a tangled silver glop, trying as hard as she could to pull herself out of the mess but only found herself growing more tangled in it all; her dress, the thorns, the sinking dirt, the fresh blood –it was all too much for her to bear and suddenly she found herself sobbing bitterly, wishing she had never set foot outside, never had to bear the sight of him again.

Instantly she felt gentle hands weaving through the thorns and pulling her against a tender chest. She resisted in defiance. "No, please," she murmured as she whimpered against him, pulling herself out of his grip and stumbling towards the distant gates she could make out in the distance. She tripped over a gnarly root and once again fell headfirst into the muddy ground.

Trembling hands lifted her out of the soot, brushing the hair out of her face and tracing distinct tear marks with trembling fingers. She pushed him away put he held her there, her face pressed into his lap, and softy lifted her face to his.

"Please don't do this to me," he pleaded, gazing down at her with earnest, lustful eyes. She murmured something incoherent in response but before she knew it he had breached the distance between them and pulled her against him, his lips searching for hers and finding them easily.

A soothing blankness overcame her as she abandoned all resistance and he cradled her to him; and it seemed like an eternity since she had last felt his warming lips on hers.

And as she sighed in the distance, a pair of malicious feline eyes watched the scene in utter disbelief.

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A/N:

Well here you have it! Don't be mad at me anymore, I haven't said his name yet but it's obvious who it was. Hopefully no one thought it was Seran. Anyhow he's back and booming!

Before I forget, do remember that Endymion has a COMPANION…Ooo who could it be?

Review and save me some sanity!

Ummster♪♫

Now I hafta kinda go practice for Orchestra testing so please excuse me! No more squabble here.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

A/N:

Ok, ok fine. The last chapter was kind of short. I admit it. And every reviewer seems to be rubbing it into my face. Jeez, cut me some slack. No, just kidding, I didn't realize this until they pointed it out so I guess…all for the better.

So it hasn't ended yet, we resume this chapter while they're still in the courtyards, or gardens, or whatever you call it. Hope you're happy; please be happy! Not to sound desperate or anything.

YAAARRGH by the time I'm done with this chapter I can tell it will have been a long way from the last time I updated. Because I have 2 labs and a test due next week AAAAA!

Just read I supposed, enjoy, and review.

My new slogan: R, E, and R. RER? Or perhaps RRE?

Disclaimer: I'm auctioning Sailor Moon next week :D (J/K –don't sue me)

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She sat idly in his embrace, clinging to him desperately. The rain soothed to a hushed pitter-patter against the unnoticed shadow of two figures, encased so perfectly into one, awash against the peaceful drift of the tide creeping over their feet on the soft, sandy banks of the green-blue pool that rippled beneath a high-towering waterfall. A securing mist fell around the landscape, a mist that enveloped the sanctuary in its own world, apart from the worries and hassles that surrounded it. With each blatant sigh of the foam drifting against the rocks he held her closer. And she returned it, kissing him sluggishly, then choking him joyfully, then caressing him tenderly, then squeezing the life out of him. Her heart nearly crumpled in exhaustion; five long years of waiting making even one moment of separation unbearable. (A/N: Sorry to ruin the moment with my nonsensical author note, but I found the perfect picture for this. I forgot the link though. But it's really sweet…they're just hugging, she's half on his lap and their eyes are closed with this weird, tranquil expression on their faces. It's like the epitome of 'eternal love'. And for some reason the song 'Forever Young' keeps playing in my head. Now, moving on…:D)

"You know Serenity," he murmured, "I've always loved you." He kissed her softly on the cheek.

"Shhh…" she whispered, "Don't say anything." He nuzzled her neck and she sighed, letting the water sweep gently over her ankle.

A few minutes later she peeked her eyes open to find him fast asleep on her shoulder, blowing unconsciously at a wisp of ebony black hair that overlay its path. It teetered wobbly to the rhythm of his breathing. He looked so innocent at the moment, Serenity couldn't help letting out a little laugh.

But it was enough to wake him. Endymion glared at her accusingly, pulling himself off her shoulder, and stretched his arms lazily behind his back. "What's so funny?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

"You are."

He bent over carefully, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he took in her figure hungrily. "You think?" He cast her a lopsided grin and began to close in on her. It took her a while to register his movements but by then, it was too late; he had her by the waits now, his fingers working wonders…Serenity shrieked as he began to tickle her. He paused for a millisecond but this time her mind was ready. She dodged his fingers swiftly, suddenly awake and erect, and scampered off into the distance.

He growled, jumping upwards to chase her about the fields and pinned her against an overlaying tree, its branches seeping downwards to brush against the tip of his hair. "Now my dear," he began, licking his suddenly dry lips. She whimpered in anticipation, squirming out of his hold and breaking into another fervent dash across the premises. Restricted by her billowing skirts, she once again found him catching up to her and soon found herself in the same position, her back pressed against the trunk of a blossoming tree trunk, her arms hugging it to her as he bent down, his breath tickling her lips.

"Am I still that funny?"

"Of course."

His lips curled into a smile. "I beg your pardon?"

"I mean…of course not." She laughed uneasily, caught somewhere between his enrapturing cobalt eyes and his teasing smirk.

"I thought so," he murmured huskily, yanking her head up fiercely and plundering her lips with his own. He tore his lips from hers and gazed longingly into her startled sky blue eyes. "I've waited so long," he whispered as her eyes fluttered closed. He nudged her head upwards again, gentler this time. "No really, listen to me."

"I am," she answered dizzily, slowly losing control of her consciousness, "or at least I'm trying."

"You're trying?"

"Well you're not helping much…"

He grinned. "I see." He stepped back, placing a firm hand on her shoulders as she teetered oddly to the left. "Princess…I'm afraid I'm not safe here. Beryl's still searching for me."

"You mean you've left her."

He sighed. "Yes, I suppose. I escaped." _Too bad I couldn't leave without experiencing her foul, misdemeanant, utterly horrific taste._ "It's not as if she has no idea where I am, however." His eyes turned to the sky, wondering where Jedeite was at the moment. It was too early to explain to her that Jedeite had escaped as well, and that he was now in hiding under one of the thorn bushes she had so clumsily tangled herself into.

"Oh." Her head fell. "You can't stay, can you?"

He hung his head. "I'm afraid not…not for too long, that is. However it seems you're having some sort of Royal Ball this week?"

As soon as he'd uttered those words she reached for his hand eagerly, her eagerness surprising them both. Her silver hair rustled in the wind. "Oh, please come, please come Endy! You must!"

He kissed the hand softly. "I'll try my best." He paused. "I really will."

She sighed and sat down on the parched grass, hugging her knees to her chest. He stooped down to grasp her own hand.

"Serenity, I haven't even taken the time to find out how you are."

Her pupils zoomed back into focus. "How _I_ am?" She glanced at the ground uneasily.

Endymion lifted her chin up shakily. "Not too good I suppose?" She nodded solemnly and tried to dismiss his penetrating glare but he held her still. "If it makes you feel better I haven't been having the best of times either."

She gulped as he massaged her shoulders and looked up at him again with wide, perplexed blue orbs. "Endy…"

"Princess." He squeezed her shoulder in reassurance.

"I have another fiancé." She hadn't wanted to seem weak but was unable to control the hot flood of brazen tears streaming down her rosy cheeks, pouring her heart out to him. He had his arms around her in an instant, brushing the tears off her face tentatively.

"Diamond, is it? I'd like to meet him." She felt his fingers dig into her palm and paled, pressing his hand to her chest and turning his head to look at her.

"You mustn't."

Her regret was too much to bear. He conceded without thinking clearly. "And I won't. I promise, my dear princess."

She sobbed harder, the melancholy atmosphere overcoming her until she was just a crying silver bundle in Endymion's arms.

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Luna paced her chambers nervously.

From the time she had spotted the two lovers together she had known it was a love like no other. Just the way they had held each other in the incessant rain had been truth enough. It was a bond that couldn't be broken.

But needed to be.

Oh, her poor Serenity, to have fallen for such a sleazy seducer as the prince of Earth. She didn't blame her, however. There were things about him that…Luna shuddered, scratching her black fur perplexedly. There were things about him that perhaps raised the hairs of her own furry back. Yet more out of fury than anything else.

She crept to her drawers and begin to fish for a loose piece of parchment. No, she thought to herself, it would devastate her. She shook her head sadly and slowly uncapped the lid to her pen, pausing before beginning to write the first words.

_To her Majesty the Queen Serenity II of the Moon Kingdom…_

Because some secrets were too large to be kept.

And in the darkness, Jedeite bounded for the Palace, wondering why Endymion had left him unattended on the palacial grounds. Fortunately for him, he still remembered the area.

Clear as day.

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He scaled the marble walls with ease, clawing his way through the inscriptions and tails of ivy that lay in his path. A single destination perturbed in his mind. The master suite. A room he once had occupied. A room he had once…he shook his head sadly, telling himself to keep focused.

He as easily reached it as he had begun. The window was still permanently engraved into his memory, the satin curtains and the white lacy cloth that hung underneath it.

A fragment of a memory wisped through him, and he made no effort to stop it.

_He watched her as she slowly unwound the curtains to face him from the terrace beneath her. "Rena!" She blushed and quickly brushed them closed once more. He felt slightly hurt but persisted. "Love, please, come down here, there's something I need to show you."_

_The windows peeked open timidly this time, a silver head bobbing into sight. "What is it?" she asked, glancing down at his for a second, turning beet red and then hiding her face in embarrassment._

_He wondered at her embarrassment but shook it off as bridal innocence. "If you don't come down yourself, I'm going to have to climb up there and carry you down. Is that what you want?" He'd already begun climbing the walls, using a tug of ivy as a hold and soon had reached her balcony. His hand outstretched and she took it, her petite fingers curling perfectly into his. He nodded slowly and swept her upwards. She gasped silently as he began scaling the wall downwards again, one arm on the rope of ivy and the other cradling her to his chest._

_He set her down lightly, and she took a quick look around her. "What is it…" she stopped suddenly as she gazed to her left, her eyes widening and her breath catching in her throat._

_There stood the widest, most beautiful rose garden she had ever seen. Perfectly crafted, crimson flowers, so perfectly in bloom, joined to form a magnificent heart-shaped rose bed, fresh drops of dew sprayed upon them delicately. She held a hand to her chest as he bent down on one knee and bowed his head. "I love you, Rena," he whispered, "let this be a reminder to all those that visit this rose garden."_

_At loss for words, she walked towards him, falling to the ground beside him, and kissed him under the sunset._

He would always remember that day.

He had already reached the familiar balcony, uneasy about the whole ordeal. Seized with a bout of compulsion he grabbed the lace, thrust it to the side, and stepped into the bedroom.

Only to find the two most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen staring up at him in surprise.

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A/N:

I'd originally intended to write more but felt I should stop there. I DO have a thing for eyes though, I know, I use them as cliffhangers much too often.

Hope that chapter wasn't too short…I suppose it was short but it did have a substantial bit of information I suppose.

So review of course! I'm not writing too much today.

Ummster


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